Guesterization

 Guest•er•ize (gest-er-ize): to make a church more responsive to its guests and better able to attract new ones.  Syn see service, care, love, acceptance.

 “Being nice to people is just the beginning of connecting people to your church…But being nice and smiling accounts for only about 20 percent, at most, of actually connecting guests to a church.  The important thing is to design systems that provide excellent service to those who attend your church…We must guesterize our churches.  Guesterizing your church occurs when you make guests the most important people at your church on Sunday morning.  It means responding to their needs in a manner that causes them to enjoy their time with you.  It means giving superior service so that they want to move beyond the first visit.  To guesterize your church, I recommend that you give your guests the following:

1. The “Ten-Foot Rule” and the “Just Say Hi” policy.  Whenever you come within ten feet of a person (especially those you do not know), smile and just say hi.

2. “The Five-Minute Rule”  The members of the congregation are instructed to speak to guests during the first five minutes following each worship service.  They were not to do any church business or any take down of chairs or talk to their friends until five minutes had elapsed.

3. “Everyone a Greeter”  Or a better way to put it is that everyone in your church should be willing to serve others.

 (McIntosh, Gary L.  Beyond the First Visit – The Complete Guide to Connecting Guests to Your Church.  Baker Books: Grand Rapids, MI; 2006, pg 21).

At Our Savior, we have done a good job at the first and third suggestion.  People are always very friendly, and many make a point to introduce themselves guest and express their happiness that they have joined us for worship.

What things does your church do?  What ideas do you have to make us better at welcoming at guests?  Any thoughts or ideas that your have been ruminating about? 

Connecting Guests to the Church

I’ve been reading a book entitled “Beyond the First Visit.”  It deals with connecting guests to our church.  I thought this was an interesting and eye-opening quote:

“Just a little more than fifty years ago, approximately 90 percent of a church’s guests came from the same denominational background.  This meant that they already understood the church’s theology, order of worship, music, values, and culture.  Such inherent knowledge allowed them to feel comfortable and at ease in the church…most newcomers knew how to fit in the church.

In today’s world only 30 percent of our guests will come from a sister church or one of a similar background.  That means that 70 percent come with little or no understanding of our church.  When nearly three-fourths of our guests arrive either with no church background or from a church that is quite different, there is a corresponding lack of knowledge about our church.  Most guests will not be familiar without worship format.  They will not know when to stand, sit or kneel.  Others will not know our songs, language, and religious jargon.  They will not know how to fit in or get involved in ministry.  Therefore, we must be intentional in developing effective ways to move guests beyond the first visit…”  (McIntosh, Gary L.  Beyond the First Visit – The Complete Guide to Connecting Guests to Your Church.  Baker Books: Grand Rapids, MI; 2006, pg 21).

Any ruminations, thoughts or ideas?