"Working Together to Make Church Better"
Born on Purpose... Listen to Rev. Joe Cala as He Speaks January 2012
First Time Visitors Are Always Welcome
The First Time Visitor
The First Time Visitor
We hope that they’ll see enough and hear the Word and realize that this is where God has called them.
Some may be in tune enough to know this is it!
Here’s another question I’m going to ask.
A first time visitor only has one visit to determine whether they want to come back for a second time. If you only have one chance to let them see the full impact of your ministry than what are you showing them?
- It’s time we start realizing that the First-Time Visitor is more than just a part of the announcements.
- How welcomed and valuable do you think the First Time Visitor will feel if we say, “Sorry, I almost forgot, if this is your first time here please raise your hands, we’d like to welcome you to our service!”
- In the business world you need opportunities to do business in order to do business.
- In the church world you need visitors to grow the church.
We hope that they’ll see enough and hear the Word and realize that this is where God has called them.
Some may be in tune enough to know this is it!
- But mostly others will walk out the church doors and have the weight of the world and the craziness of life distract them and overwhelm them so much to forget how good they felt and how powerful the message was.
- If I was a visitor why should I come to your church?
Here’s another question I’m going to ask.
- If I was a visitor why wouldn’t I want to come to your church?
A first time visitor only has one visit to determine whether they want to come back for a second time. If you only have one chance to let them see the full impact of your ministry than what are you showing them?
- Are you showing them that your church has an atmosphere of love and acceptance?
- Are you showing them that the can fit in here?
- Are they seeing that they can be included?
- Or do they feel that they were never really welcomed at all.
Facing the Facts of First-Time Visitors
This is the first step in taking your next step towards increased & sustained growth.
Luke 15:4-5 (New King James Version)
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”
- How many first-time visitors attended service and filled out a visitor card within the last year?
- Out of the first-time visitors, how many came back a second time?
- How many came back a third time?
- How many of those visitors continued to come, attended membership class and have become a member?
- How many have attended membership class, became a member and have not been back since the membership class?
- How many have become a member, came for a little while after class and you haven’t seen them in more than 1 month’s time?
- How many have not become a member but still attend church?
- How many have made a first time public decision to either accept Christ or make any other commitment to Christ?
- How many who made a public decision to either accept Christ or made any other commitment to Christ are still coming to church?
- How many total members do you have right now?
- How many total members do you want to have within one year from now?
- What are you actively doing to retain your first-time visitor who comes in tomorrow?
- What are you doing to retain the visitor who came a few times and is no longer coming?
- What are you doing to retain and find the visitor who became a member and is no longer coming?
- What does this scripture say to you?
Luke 15:4-5 (New King James Version)
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”