Rev. Christopher Walker www.EvangelismCoach.org Welcoming Church Visitors

Housekeeping Q & A panel. Submit questions there. We’ll tackle them at the end. Occasional sound skip – VOIP problem. Copy of the slides emailed to you afterwards

Q & A panel. Submit questions there.

We’ll tackle them at the end.

Occasional sound skip – VOIP problem.

Copy of the slides emailed to you afterwards

Our Virtual Class Where 10 different countries 31 States in the US Position Pastors, Elders, Deacons Outreach Teams Church Planters Greeters Church Consultants Lots of denominations and backgrounds.

Where

10 different countries

31 States in the US

Position

Pastors, Elders, Deacons

Outreach Teams

Church Planters

Greeters

Church Consultants

Lots of denominations and backgrounds.

Agenda Introduction Who is Chris Walker? What is EvangelismCoach.org? Evangelism and Hospitality Casting Vision Training Teams Assimilation Processes

Introduction

Who is Chris Walker?

What is EvangelismCoach.org?

Evangelism and Hospitality

Casting Vision

Training Teams

Assimilation Processes

Who is Chris Walker? Ordained Presbyterian (USA) Pastor Associate Pastor (7 years) Youth Ministry (15 years) Church planter (5 years) Master of Divinity Master of Theology Evangelism Training since 1997 9 countries

Ordained Presbyterian (USA) Pastor

Associate Pastor (7 years)

Youth Ministry (15 years)

Church planter (5 years)

Master of Divinity

Master of Theology

Evangelism Training since 1997

9 countries

What Is EvangelismCoach.org? Website Resource Personal Evangelism Church Growth Book Reviews Free Downloads Monthly Newsletter Loyal Readers

Website Resource

Personal Evangelism

Church Growth

Book Reviews

Free Downloads

Monthly Newsletter

Loyal Readers

EvangelismCoach.org Evangelism Training Distance 1-1 Coaching and Mentoring Live Events Alaska to Chile Related Sites EvangelismBookstore.com ChurchGreeterTraining.com WelcomeChurchVisitors.com

Evangelism Training

Distance 1-1 Coaching and Mentoring

Live Events

Alaska to Chile

Related Sites

EvangelismBookstore.com

ChurchGreeterTraining.com

WelcomeChurchVisitors.com

Focus on Your Biggest Challenges Casting Vision for Hospitality Recruiting Church’s ownership Church Culture The why Training Hospitality Ministry Teams The How to and the what to do Assimilation Processes First Impressions Get Contact information Get a return visit (2 nd , 3 rd , etc)

Casting Vision for Hospitality

Recruiting

Church’s ownership

Church Culture

The why

Training Hospitality Ministry Teams

The How to and the what to do

Assimilation Processes

First Impressions

Get Contact information

Get a return visit (2 nd , 3 rd , etc)

Context of Your Church No two places are alike. Context, Context. Know your community. Know your church. Fit was is appropriate for your context.

No two places are alike.

Context, Context.

Know your community.

Know your church.

Fit was is appropriate for your context.

Hospitality is not Evangelism

Evangelism Joyfully sharing the good news of the sovereign love of God, and calling people to repentance to personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savoir and Lord to active membership in the church, and to obedient service in the world. Definition adopted by the 202nd General Assembly, 1990

Joyfully sharing the good news of the sovereign love of God, and

calling people

to repentance

to personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savoir and Lord

to active membership in the church, and

to obedient service in the world.

Definition adopted by the 202nd General Assembly, 1990

Hospitality Entire Industries Hotels Cruise Ships Restaurants Big Box Retail Goal: For Repeat Connection

Entire Industries

Hotels

Cruise Ships

Restaurants

Big Box Retail

Goal:

For Repeat Connection

Evangelism Hospitality Conversion Proclamation Information Salvation Faith Life Change Repeat visit Connection Experience Interaction Fellowship First Impressions Rick Warren says, “ Relationships are the glue that keep the faithful coming .”

Conversion

Proclamation

Information

Salvation

Faith

Life Change

Repeat visit

Connection

Experience

Interaction

Fellowship

First Impressions

My Definition of Hospitality Taking the initiative to welcome others And inviting others to share in our community life.

Taking the initiative

to welcome others

And

inviting others

to share in our community life.

The Problem --

What Church Consumers Want “Friendliness to Visitors” is Extremely important: 71% Somewhat important: 21% Add that up and for 9 out of 10 visitors, the friendliness of your congregation is important. Based on a national telephone survey of 1,015 people 18 or older; sampling error of plus/minus 3 percent. Citation: Moody (Jan/ Feb 2002);

“Friendliness to Visitors” is

Extremely important: 71%

Somewhat important: 21%

Add that up and for 9 out of 10 visitors, the friendliness of your congregation is important.

Based on a national telephone survey of 1,015 people 18 or older; sampling error of plus/minus 3 percent. Citation: Moody (Jan/ Feb 2002);

Personal Experiences Talk around me. No one said hello. No acknowledgement. Talk among themselves Church Business Secret Dress Code CLIQUES

Talk around me.

No one said hello.

No acknowledgement.

Talk among themselves

Church Business

Secret Dress Code

CLIQUES

“We are a friendly Church” All churches think they are friendly Google Search 127,000 results “friendly church” 1,900 exact match on Google Review of Church Info Forms Presbyterian System

All churches think they are friendly

Google Search

127,000 results “friendly church”

1,900 exact match on Google

Review of Church Info Forms

Presbyterian System

A Vision For Hospitality Ministries

Bible Studies on Hospitality Bible studies on Hospitality Leviticus 19:33-34 ‘ When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’ They were not to oppress the alien because they knew how it felt when they were in Egypt ( Exodus 23:9 )

Bible studies on Hospitality

Leviticus 19:33-34

‘ When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’

They were not to oppress the alien because they knew how it felt when they were in Egypt ( Exodus 23:9 )

You Were the Visitor Once Visit other churches as a 1 st time guest Invite a friend to experience your church Learn from recent newcomers

Visit other churches as a 1 st time guest

Invite a friend to experience your church

Learn from recent newcomers

Relate Hospitality to Evangelism Not Evangelism Supports the work of evangelism Goal is relationships where people can safely grow or explore their faith.

Not Evangelism

Supports the work of evangelism

Goal is relationships where people can safely grow or explore their faith.

Casting Vision Pastor’s Role Sermons Newsletters Regular Greeter Training Celebrating Newcomers

Pastor’s Role

Sermons

Newsletters

Regular Greeter Training

Celebrating Newcomers

Recruiting Greeters / Ushers More than a warm body. People invest time and gifts where they see the benefit What benefit does the person receive for serving? Ask, ask, ask. Use what you learn to help refine.

More than a warm body.

People invest time and gifts where they see the benefit

What benefit does the person receive for serving?

Ask, ask, ask.

Use what you learn to help refine.

Training Hospitality Teams

What Teams do you need Door Greeters Welcome Center Greeters Ushers Parking Lot Campus Guides Children’s Wing Security

Door Greeters

Welcome Center Greeters

Ushers

Parking Lot

Campus Guides

Children’s Wing

Security

Recruiting your teams Team leader Provide occasional training Keep casting vision Phone work Matching gifts and passions

Team leader

Provide occasional training

Keep casting vision

Phone work

Matching gifts and passions

Training Your Teams What works for your context Broad strokes, not a 99 page how to manual. Train the Heart Principles Values Details come later. Ongoing training == consistency.

What works for your context

Broad strokes, not a 99 page how to manual.

Train the Heart

Principles

Values

Details come later.

Ongoing training == consistency.

Sample Training Ideas Personal visits to other churches First Impressions Experiences Remember what it’s like to be a guest How to read body language What to say

Personal visits to other churches

First Impressions Experiences

Remember what it’s like to be a guest

How to read body language

What to say

Tips for Ushers and Greeters Smile. Fresh Breath Make eye contact Take initiative and greet. Don’t say “Are you new?” Avoid: “First time here?” Say “I’ve not met you yet.” No Hugs to strangers.

Smile.

Fresh Breath

Make eye contact

Take initiative and greet.

Don’t say “Are you new?”

Avoid: “First time here?”

Say “I’ve not met you yet.”

No Hugs to strangers.

Debriefing you teams Thoughtful appreciation gifts / actions Debriefing (to learn new things) Develop a FAQ

Thoughtful appreciation gifts / actions

Debriefing (to learn new things)

Develop a FAQ

Do you have usher/greeter training materials? Feel free to share them with me [email_address]

Feel free to share them with me

[email_address]

Follow-up Processes

Caveats Technique is not relationship Vision helps relationship Techniques lower friction

Technique is not relationship

Vision helps relationship

Techniques lower friction

The Visitor Flow Attract the Guest Visitor 1 st Visit 2 nd Visit 3 rd Visit Regular Attender / Membership

Attract the Guest Visitor

1 st Visit

2 nd Visit

3 rd Visit

Regular Attender / Membership

First Impressions http://www.WelcomeChurchVisitors.com

http://www.WelcomeChurchVisitors.com

Last Impressions Fresh Coffee Fresh Finger Food Healthy Options Napkins Trash cans

Fresh Coffee

Fresh Finger Food

Healthy Options

Napkins

Trash cans

Last Impressions Take the initiative To notice visitors To engage in conversation “I’ve not met you yet.” Offer to pray if appropriate Not the time for church business. Introduce visitors to the preaching pastor.

Take the initiative

To notice visitors

To engage in conversation

“I’ve not met you yet.”

Offer to pray if appropriate

Not the time for church business.

Introduce visitors to the preaching pastor.

Get Contact Information Pew Register Contact Card Welcome Center Visitor Packet Incentive Tear off slips on the bulletin Prayer Request or Sermon Response Card

Pew Register

Contact Card

Welcome Center

Visitor Packet Incentive

Tear off slips on the bulletin

Prayer Request or Sermon Response Card

Contact Information Name Address Email Telephone Don’t need marital status, name and age of children, or 20 questions about doctrine.

Name

Address

Email

Telephone

Don’t need marital status, name and age of children, or 20 questions about doctrine.

Give incentive for contact info Free Gifts Mugs Downloads Journal Book

Free Gifts

Mugs

Downloads

Journal

Book

After the service Response varies to Visit #. Example (Journey Church) First Visit 36 hour email. 96 hour snail mail. 1 month for non-returners Second Visit 36 hour email (different one) 96 hour snail mail (different one)

Response varies to Visit #.

Example (Journey Church)

First Visit

36 hour email.

96 hour snail mail.

1 month for non-returners

Second Visit

36 hour email (different one)

96 hour snail mail (different one)

Goal: Stickyness Small Groups Relationship Building Events Service Teams

Small Groups

Relationship Building Events

Service Teams

Post Webinar Links After webinar, a link to resource page. PDF of this presentation. Recommended Books. Feedback Form

After webinar, a link to resource page.

PDF of this presentation.

Recommended Books.

Feedback Form

Free EvangelismCoach.org Mentoring Receive 90 minutes free evangelism mentoring. Limit to first 5 from this webinar Must contact me by email to receive this.

Receive 90 minutes free evangelism mentoring.

Limit to first 5 from this webinar

Must contact me by email to receive this.

Free Newsletter Free article download on hospitality Series of emails over the month introducing you to the website. Settle down to monthly and webinar announcements.

Free article download on hospitality

Series of emails over the month introducing you to the website.

Settle down to monthly and webinar announcements.

Contact information Rev. Christopher Walker www.EvangelismCoach.org 804/335-1445 Skype: WalkmanPTY