What if I sent a special agent to your church to evaluate how you’re doing in that area? Hmmm. Interesting thought. I might have to explore that idea some more. Oh, wait. I don’t have to send a special agent. I just need to identify some guests who have already genuinely visited your Sunday service and ask them what their experience is like (or you could hire a Mystery Guest – read here to learn more).
Today’s post is just that. A friend recently moved away from our church and settled in a new location. Naturally, she and her husband did some ‘church shopping’ to see if they could find a church family that they could participate in. After several experiences my friend was perusing my blog and noticed the “Guest Friendly Series” I wrote. She decided to email me her feedback on some of her experiences and agreed to let me post them for your benefit as well.
Warning: these are real life reflections from a solid and mature believer who already has a heightened sense of what a ‘Guest Friendly‘ environment could look, sound, and feel like. I trust her input and feedback implicitly. Here’s what she experienced after visiting four churches. I wonder what her thoughts would be after visiting your Sunday service?
Let me just share a few thoughts I’ve had as I’ve been a guest at a number of churches since I’ve moved down here. I’ve often thought to myself, “If it’s this difficult for me and I’ve been in churches my whole life – I desire Christian fellowship and am actively looking for it – what’s the chance that someone without those things is going to successfully integrate into the church?”
Church #1:
A lot of the things you touched on {in your ‘Guest Friendly’ series}, even simple things such as posting signs, can make a real difference. For example, there was one church I visited and liked, so decided to try the adult Sunday School the next week. I arrived in the foyer at the time listed in the bulletin – but no one was around. Where were the classes held? Finally, a couple people walked by and I stopped them and asked. They said I could follow them, actually they turned out to be teachers, and it was a little complicated getting there. I would never have found it without asking. Of course, it would have been better if I hadn’t had to ask!
Church #2:
When I read your example about people thoughtfully leaving the back row for newcomers, it reminded me of another interesting experience. I visited one church where there was a hallway outside and surrounding the sanctuary, with windows in the wall from the middle up looking in. There were some pews around the this hallway, and some others were sitting there, so it appeared to me to be an overflow space. The sanctuary looked pretty full, so I decided to sit in this space rather than try to find a seat inside. I sat near a doorway, and although two ushers kept the doorway filled, I could see and hear pretty well. To my surprise, when it was time for the sermon, the ushers closed the doors, with me sitting right there! I guess it was ‘time to shut the door’ and that’s what they were going to do! Now I couldn’t hear what was going on, so I had to either leave or open the closed door and find a seat in the sanctuary at this late point in the service. NOT guest-friendly! 🙂 But I’d made up my mind to visit this church, and I was going to do it! Non-guest-friendly, door-blocking sentinels…er, ushers…were not going to stop me! 🙂
The interesting thing about that church was that there were 3 services, 2 contemporary ones, and a more traditional one in between. It wasn’t really clear on the website, so that’s how I ended up at the traditional one first. I stayed for the other one as well.
Church #3:
I have another example that relates to the whole ‘Guest Friendly Perspective‘ you wrote about. At another church, they had a visitors’ center, so I stopped by to get information on the church. The lady I spoke with was nice, but essentially they didn’t have anything there for her to give anyone. She said she was subbing, but would have the secretary contact me. So I leave my contact information with her. I get an email from the secretary a day or two later. Basically it said, “Next time you come, ask for this information in the back of the sanctuary after church.” That was really discouraging. What if I wanted that information to help me decide if I wanted to come back? I wondered why I had to beg for this information!
Church #4:
As you know, it’s really important for the church leadership to model and cast a vision for a guest-friendly culture in the church. If it’s not there, it’s not going to happen overnight. The church I’ve been visiting the past three weeks is by far the friendliest one I’ve visited so far. What has intrigued me is that the people in the pews are friendly; it’s not just coming from the pulpit. Each Sunday, the people in the row near me have smiled and welcomed me and not just during an official greeting time; when I first entered the row they gave me a warm greeting. This has happened 3 separate Sundays with 3 different people! The first week, the lady near me took the time to introduce me to several others in the church, and to take me out to the foyer for some “guest honey” that someone brings for visitors. Another time at a ladies’ event the group leader took the time to introduce me to others in the group as well. What a difference that makes! I saw several of those ladies at church this Sunday and it’s huge to have someone recognize you…. I’m not sure anyone has actively been teaching “guest friendly” here, evidently it’s just in their DNA.
I guess all I can say is that “guest-friendly” is a need! It’s also an important responsibility for the body of Christ.