Article

3 Connections for First-Time Visitors

Dayton Hartman

We demonstrate hospitality by ensuring that Sunday morning visitors are welcomed and aware of their next steps

Hospitality is a defining feature of the Christian life, individually and of the church corporately. The Apostle Paul calls us to be a welcoming people because we have experienced the gracious welcome of Christ (Rom. 15:7). To put it another way, hospitality is us making room for others like Jesus has made room for us.

One of the primary ways we demonstrate hospitality is to ensure that Sunday morning visitors are welcomed and aware of their next steps. If someone walks through the door and they do not feel as if you were prepared for and expecting them, then it will be nearly impossible to make them feel welcomed.

1. Front Doors & Beyond 



From the moment visitors reach your meeting location, it should be obvious that you have prepared for their presence. If parking is an issue, then you should have a parking team ready to help. At the front doors, there should be greeters ready to provide a kind welcome. Either outside the front doors or immediately inside there should be a clearly designated area (table, stand, booth, desk, etc.) where first-time visitors should stop. Staff this station with those who possess the gift of hospitality—the ability to make strangers feel comfortable, wanted, and welcomed. This should be a place where you gather very basic information about visitors and give them necessary details to navigate the facility and what to expect while they are with your congregation. And if they have children, have someone ready to give them clear details about your kids ministry.

2. During the Service 



Every week, without fail, we must speak to those who are brand-new about their next step. This can be strategically located in a portion of the service where the attention of the congregation will be directed toward the platform. However, this cannot be one of many announcements or else it will be lost in the noise. Churches should prioritize one announcement for the congregation (the one thing you want everyone to act upon that week) and one invitation for the visitor (here is how you take your next step). This next step could be a variety of options: 1) an invitation to a brief meet and greet immediately following the service, 2) instructions for how to register for a class that walks through the details of church membership, or 3) a process that blends the first two approaches. Our church has opted for the latter option, and we have seen it produce much good fruit in helping people not just plug into our church but begin a pursuit of Jesus that sees them profess faith, be baptized, and mature.

3. The Next Step



At our church, what we invite visitors into as a next step is The Weekender (we spell it WKNDR just to capture people’s attention), which we hold once every six weeks or so. We are not the only church that has adopted this approach, but every church that utilizes this has their own unique take on it. Here is ours.

First, we ask people to commit to a Friday night and a Sunday morning. A high bar of commitment on the front end sets the stage for understanding the calling of actively pursuing Jesus.

Second, on Friday evening, we intentionally create a space that is comfortable and encourages relationships. We seat community group leaders at tables with those taking their first step. We provide a meal, and we encourage the table leaders to foster conversation with all those seated at their table. If we look at the gospel accounts (particularly the Gospel of Luke) we see that Jesus often engaged people over a meal. Sitting at a table and sharing conversation while eating a meal facilitates openness and demonstrates that we are welcoming people into our lives.

During the Friday evening gathering, we articulate our doctrine, vision, values, covenant, and the culture of our church. We supply printed materials that answer most questions people might have about our church, but we also make sure that our staff and lay leaders are available to answer any questions that might arise. Beyond these elements, the next steps for pursuing church membership should be overtly described, including any membership interviews and/or follow-up homework (e.g., writing out their testimony, etc.).

Third, before the evening ends, we encourage people to take their next step. For some, that may be having a conversation about the gospel. For others that may be learning about baptism. In the case of those who already follow Christ, the action step for them is plugging into the life of our church through joining a community group and a serve team. We also make sure they are aware of spaces to intentionally grow in their knowledge of the Scripture through targeted bible studies and classes we provide. Each of these calls to action has a clear pathway on what to do next. You can decide how you approach it, but what comes next should be something that every person understands and can act upon.

Fourth, we encourage people to gather with us on Sunday morning to shadow the ministry team they would consider joining. In the case of kids ministry, this would need to be a carefully curated action plan that ensures people do not have access to children until they have been background checked and trained. So, while greeting teams, media, setup, and other teams could likely be shadowed immediately, kids ministry would need to be more of an overview and orientation to how your ministry works.

Last, the end goal of having such a direct pathway from first-time visitor to church member is to convey that the Christian life is not a spectator sport. We are called to actively follow Jesus with our entire lives. While joining a local church, being in a community, and serving on a team does not constitute the totality of the Christian life, these steps are often the entryway toward maturation as we prioritize the local church. That entire process starts with hospitality.

Conclusion

At its core, a good “first-time visitor to member” plan should simply be putting good hospitality into practice. When someone comes to your home for dinner, you ensure that they know you expected them and wanted them there. As they enter your home you will likely show them around and make sure they know where the bathrooms are, where dinner will be served, and maybe where their kids can go play. Likely, you will already have a plan for the types of conversations you will have over dinner and how the flow of the evening will go. The end goal of all of this is to know and enjoy one another in the good gift of relationships.

In short, does your ministry plan to take first-time visitors to members reflect these characteristics:

  • A preparation for the presence of visitors
  • An understandable pathway for visitors to take their next step
  • An on-ramp to gospel conversations, baptism, and more
  • A venue that fosters the immediate forming of relationships

“Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God” (Romans 15:7).

Meet the Author

Dayton Hartman

Dayton Hartman is the lead pastor of Redeemer Church in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He is the author of multiple books, including, The Pastor as Apologist, Lies Pastors Believe, Church History for Modern Ministry, and Jesus Wins.

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