4 Stages Of Engagement For First-Time Guests @ The Heights

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; making the most of every single opportunity."

(Colossians 4:5)

How do first-time guests go from not knowing anything about our church to being engaged in our ministry?

There are at least four distinct stages that I believe the guests who arrive at our church go through on this journey. At each stage, we need to look at various aspects of our ministry and ensure we've reduced any friction that prevents our guests from becoming fully engaged. Think through each step that our guests go through., and identify areas that need improvement so that we can build a plan to improve the experience!

• Attention // Before we can begin any sort of relationship with our guests, we need to get their attention. This is the most basic level of any sort of connection. What are we doing to let people who might become guests know our church exists? Is our website up to date and does it contain easy-to-find information on what to expect as well as when and where our services are? If we hand out invite cards, do they contain all the information a new guest needs to show up at a service? Are we doing any radio spots or other mass media to get our community's attention? What about the signage on the exterior of our church ... is it clear about when our services are?

  

• Interest // Once guests know our church exists, the next phase is to get them interested. This is a slightly more advanced stage of engagement that demands we understand our potential guests' wants. Jesus began with people's needs, hurts and interests when he preached, so we shouldn't be afraid to start with people's pressing problems or questions. Is it obvious that our church is answering questions people are asking? Or is our church obsessed with theologically obscure issues that no one else is even talking about? If we wonder what people are asking about, we should send out a survey. Ask which questions they believe their family and friends are wondering about faith. Also, for the benefit of newcomers, seek clarity rather than cleverness in the way we name and explain everything we do as a church.

  

• Connection // This is the moment when our first-time guests decide to take the risk and engage in one way or another. In many ways, this is the moment of truth in the entire process because our first-time guests are taking the first step to connect with us. It always starts with our guests making the decision to connect first and we need to be ready to receive them. As leaders who have been connected to a church for a long time, we need to work hard to get into that headspace. Is the flow inside our building obvious and clear? (Can first-time guests easily find the main sanctuary, where to drop off their kids, where the bathrooms are and where to get a cup of coffee?) Do we acknowledge guests who might be "new here" in a non-threatening way and give them a clear and obvious first step to make a connection with the church? Are our greeters and ushers trained to spot the telltale signs of a first-time guest and do they know how to ensure these people are put at ease? When a first-time guest arrives at our kids' check-in area, does our team know what to do? Being ready for first-time guests goes a long way toward helping them making a connection.

  

• Engagement // This is the stage when a guest goes from simply being present to raising their hand to be "known" at our church, or stopping by our connection center. There is always a lag between when our guests arrive and when they decide to connect. When guests acknowledge they are with us and start taking baby-steps toward engaging with our community, we need to be ready to receive them. Do we have a follow-up process that moves beyond Sunday to reward their engagement and move them toward being a regular participant in our ministry? When guests decide to make a donation to our ministry for the first time — which is a huge point of engagement for them — are we receiving that gift and acknowledging it in a way that honors this step? After our guests take their first steps toward our community, do we have clear next steps for them to get engaged further? When a guest works up the courage to get connected, let’s not make them wait to get plugged into our ministry. Does our response to our guest's engagement mirror their intentionality or is it haphazard and illogical? People don't connect with things they don't understand. Make it super obvious what steps we want them to take. Think about it from their perspective and let’s make sure it's clear what's in it for them when they decide to engage with us.

Just my thoughts and insights...what are yours? Please comment and share about The Heights on your social media page to spread the word! Thanks...