Finders

 

God is always seeking us and a closer relationship with us. Every person has a “god-shaped hole.” Each person, through working of the Holy Spirit, is on a spiritual journey, seeking God. Our job is to break down barriers and facilitate the journey, by not only finding – reaching out to others, but also by making ourselves and God able to be found by the spiritual seeker.

 

First impression from the outside – What does your church say to people – from your community presence, from the road, in the parking lot, at the door…? Who is the God that is being proclaimed? Invite non-church goers to evaluate your church and give you their first impressions. Consider:
 
  • Road Signage – Keep fresh, clean, and in good repair. Large enough print to be read without slowing down. Clear service times.
  • Corporate Image – Use a consistent image, message and look for all communications. Fresh logo. Put yourself out in the community through advertisements of events and program in addition to worship services.
  • Web site – An absolute must in this age. A web-page “sign” at a minimum with service times, information on Sunday School, and no “code”
  • Yellow pages – What impression does you ad give? Is the information clear and correct?
  • Voice mail/reception – Always friendly and professional. Female voice on recording is proven more effective because women tend to make the church decisions for the family.
  • Clear path in – Show people the best way to get in with signs, paths, maps.
  • Parking Lot – Reserve spots up front for guests with special signs. Consider parking lot greeters, especially if parking is tight. Umbrellas are ready for rainy days.
  • Exterior Lighting – Are the parking lot, sidewalks and entrances well lit?
  • Building Use by other groups – Make sure the other groups fell welcome and invited to be part of the church family. Express gratitude that they use your space. Invite them to parish events and worship. Treat them like guests in your home. “Do you have everything you need?”
  • Clear directions around facilities – signs and arrows to indicate worship space, nursery, bathrooms, and class rooms. So obvious, yet so many of our churches don’t do it.
  • Office – Is it open and inviting or a confused workroom?
 
Finding and being found, without being “found out.”
 
  • Greeters and Ushers – Warmly greet all who enter, newcomers and regular parishioners. Train greeter and ushers to notice newcomers and volunteer assistance, especially for nursery and young children. Have the people at the front door reflect the people you are trying to attract to the congregation: schedule for diversity in age, gender, culture. Have greeters warmly welcome newcomers, with out being overbearing.
  • Introductions – Teach people how to introduce self, not make assumptions about the other. “Hi, I’m Mary. I have been here for 4 months. How about you?” rather than, “Are you new?”
  • Respect boundaries – Don’t point out, make stand up, or otherwise embarrass anyone. Don’t hug someone unless you know they want to. Watch language. “Where have you been?” puts guilt on other, makes one defensive. “I am glad to see you!” is welcoming.
  • Name tags – Name tags, when used, should be worn by everyone, and be of the same kind. (Use the stick on kind. No permanent ones for members and different one for guests) If name tags are used, EVERYONE uses them, even clergy. Consider having someone making name tags as people enter. “May I make you a name tag?”
  • Guest Book/Info Card – Have more than one way a person can choose to make themselves known. Info card, guest book, Attendance sheet…..
  • Clergy – Be out in front before worship, greeting people. During announcements, welcome newcomers in the 2nd person, but don’t point them out individually. Invite them to fill out info cards, sign guest book, and join fellowship.
  • Section greeters – Consider placing greeters in congregation who seek out anyone new in their section of the congregation after the service. This can be standing expectation for all lay readers.
  • Five minute rule – encourage the congregation in announcements and newsletter articles to spend the first 5 minutes after a service with a newcomer, or with someone they don’t  know well. After that, they can go talk with old friends.
  • Avoid business on Sundays – Encourage vestry members and lay leaders to conduct church business at other times besides the Sunday coffee hour. Worship and fellowship, not work. If they need to meet on Sunday…do so after fellowship.
  • Accessible worship
    • Service Leaflet – Ideally print (or project) the whole service. Otherwise verbally lead people through the prayer.
    • Responses – Anything the people say needs to be easy for them to find in bulletin or prayer book or hymnal. No secret responses (All things come of thee, oh lord…..)
    • Explanations – give appropriate directions during the service and at peace for communion and offertory.
    • Leave back row empty – Teach regular parishioners to leave the back row empty for guests who are likely to come late and want to observe from the back.
    • Provide an escape hatch – for people who don’t want to wait to greet the clergy or others after the service, for introverts, for anyone needing to “escape”.
 
  • No inside language – Especially a problem in Announcements and Newsletters. If it’s not a common word, explain. Identify abbreviations. Give clear information: Who, what, where, when cost, contact information
  • Offering – One of the biggest complaints of unchurched people is that churches only want their money. Invite guests not to give. Considering saying or printing information to teach on what an offering is, and how the money is to be used. Teaching about giving is good, and helps the parish grow. Don’t “beg” money for maintenance. Cast a vision.
  • Music – Very important to most people. Whatever style you use, do it well. Simple and good is better than complex but mediocre. Rate the “singability” factor of music. If the congregation is going to sing it, is it easy to follow? Words may be great, but is the tune dirge-like? What radio stations does you target like to listen to?
  • Integration of Children vs. ‘handling children” – Is the reason you don’t have many children really the demographics of your area? How are you welcoming children to start to participate? How do clergy and lay leaders interact with the children? If you have children’s chapel or Sunday School during worship, is it an important way to minister to children, or is it just babysitting?
  • Sermons – Avoid “Christian-ese”. Explain religious terms (sanctification, grace, justification). Use everyday language and relative examples for you congregation. Think of 3 different people in the parish – How does this message relate to them? How is your message Good News? Watch “we” language. I am not a “we” until I decide so. Does a “we” in the sermon pertain to a seeker or a guest?
  • Lay Leadership – Seeing a lot of different people involved in parish life shows a newcomer that people are values and that perhaps, they do, might find a spot to belong.
  • Facilities – especially Nursery: clean and cared for? How are the bathrooms?
  • Coffee Hour – Good coffee and good food lift the spirits! If possible, make the coffee hour close to the worship space, so it is on the way to the parking lot. Make food and drink attractive. Add fresh flowers.
  • Greeters – Still on duty during the coffee hour! Mix with newcomers and introduce them to other members.
  • Information Packets, Other literature – Is it up to date? Written for the guest? Professional looking ?? Giving across the right message? (i.e. if you want to attract young families, are all your tracts about “leaving the church in your will?)