Yesterday we discussed the importance of making first-time guests to your church feel welcome. Today we will explore what those guests are looking for when they come to your church. It's important to remember that a first-time guest will often decide whether to return to this church within the first few minutes of pulling onto the church property. This is even before the pastor has a chance to mess it up! I know some church members will think that it's the pastor's fault if church guests don't return, but that is not usually the case.
Everything, and I mean everything, speaks to the experience your first-time guest will have when they come to your church. The appearance of the building, the landscaping, the ease of finding a parking space, how they are welcomed when they enter the building, the energy of the worship experience, the biblical integrity of the message, and their experience when leaving the service all speaks volumes. But, it's often those earlier experiences before the service that determines whether they will be back.
One of the first things many women look for in a new church is the cleanliness of the facility, including bathrooms, and the safety of their children if they have any. I'm not sure what men look for, but I often joke it's donuts. If the church isn't clean or they feel their children are not safe, the family will not return. Are the weeds kept out of the flower beds and the shrubs neatly trimmed? Does the front doors or window trims need new coats of paint? Are the bathrooms bright and spotless with plenty of paper and soap or do they have a smell or need cleaning?
Does your church have a policy that is followed to ensure children's safety? Who is allowed to pick up children after the service? Are the children's areas kept secure from unnecessary people? Is everyone required to wear a mask during this Covid pandemic?
Although guests want to be made to feel welcome, they do not want to be singled out. DO NOT ASK YOUR GUESTS TO RISE AND INTRODUCE THEMSELVES! Stop having a "Greet your neighbor" time. Studies have found that the only people who hate this artificial greeting time more than the church members are guests to the church. It does not make them feel welcome!
Does your worship service have energy or do the people act like they would prefer to be somewhere else? Vance Havner once said that many churches start at 11:00 sharp and end at 12:00 dull. No one, especially people looking for a church home, wants to endure a dull worship service.
One last thing today about what church guests are looking for when they come to a new church is they are looking for churches that believe something. Pastors do not have to water down the gospel for fear of offending people. Studies consistently find that people are not turned off by biblical preaching. In fact, that is what the majority are seeking. This is why mainstream churches that try to appease the masses by offering watered-down preaching are losing members and those churches preaching biblically sound sermons are growing. Church guests are looking for something that serve as a solid foundation for their lives and only those churches who actually stand for something and believe something that point the way to that foundation.
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