What stories do you have from people who visited your church?
I can think of the 20-year-old who has never set foot in a church, the mom and young son who visited a year after her husband passed away, and the young married couple trying to build their marriage on a spiritual foundation. Everyone who visits a church is looking for something. Perhaps it’s community, answers to hard questions, healing from trauma, or simply a place to serve and grow in their faith.
Our follow-up with guests should aim to uncover these individual needs and connect people to the right environments for growth. At every step, my goal is to serve the individual. I reach out not because I want to add numbers to an event but because they’ve expressed a need, and I want to help match that need with someone in our church who can support them.
This is part three of a series looking at how we welcome first-time guests at our church. Check out Part 1 on our motivation and Part 2 on crafting the Sunday experience.
Our Strategy for Follow-Up: We Noticed, and We Want to Serve You
We Noticed
Everyone appreciates being acknowledged, even if the way we prefer recognition differs. By making the effort to follow up personally—whether through a phone call, email, or handwritten note—we show that we value the time our guests spent visiting our church. Some people may only want to chat for 30 seconds, while others may open up for 30 minutes. Regardless of the length, each interaction communicates our appreciation and willingness to serve.
We Want to Serve You
Every call, email, or note should focus on the individual. This isn’t about pushing church programs but sincerely asking, “How can we serve your family?” Sometimes, that might mean recommending ministry events that fit their needs or offering ways to connect with others. When specific challenges arise, I even ask permission to have someone with similar experiences reach out to provide encouragement and support.
Build your Follow-Up Schedule
How do we follow up? Using every method at our disposal.
I remember when making a purchase was simple—you just swiped your card. Now, I face decision paralysis even buying a soda: should I tap, insert, swipe, or use my phone? Communication is just as complex. Some people love a phone call, while others will never answer an unknown number. Texting works well for many, but some find it intrusive. Emails are often ignored, and mailed cards feel warm but may only be noticed if they check their mailbox. My goal is simple: use every form of communication at least once.
With the help of a volunteer team, we build a process like this:
- 4 contacts in the first week: text, call, email, card in the mail
- 1 contact in the second week: email
- 1 contact in the third week: call or text
- 1 contact in the fourth week: email
That’s seven touchpoints in the first month after their visit. By the way, I always leave a voicemail thanking them for their visit if no one answers.
The first week’s contacts are simple thank-yous with questions about how we can serve their family. Week two focuses on a casual email inviting them to schedule a time to chat with a pastor. Week three is typically a personal call, asking if they are still visiting and looking for ways to connect them with others. The final contact is an email highlighting key ministry opportunities and inviting them to engage. Every one of these touchpoints reinforces the message: We noticed, and we want to serve you.
Capture the Data
I love data. I might even be guilty of creating data just so I have something to organize! My quirks aside, data collection is the secret sauce to the first-time guest process. Anyone who has worked in sales understands the value of a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. While churches don’t use this terminology, your church database is essentially a CRM system that keeps everyone on your team informed about someone’s journey through your process. Nothing shows a lack of care more than asking someone to share personal details and then forgetting them later! That’s why your church database system is critical.
Let me be honest—I’ve never met a staff member who loves their database system. Every system has its strengths and weaknesses. But we’re not waiting for Jesus to deliver the perfect system—use what you’ve got to its fullest potential. I strongly recommend against using spreadsheets or unrelated software to track first-time guests because it risks losing the history of your interactions.
My goals for data are twofold: to ensure an organized follow-up process and to track a person’s progress in connecting with our church.
We strive to collect:
- Contact information
- Notes from the first meeting
- Notes from each call
- Requests for more information about ministries
- Attendance at events (including kids’ check-in)
- Prayer requests
- Requests for salvation or baptism counseling
Of course, we won’t have information in every category for every guest, but we review each household account after 30 days to assess their activity. Are these guests becoming regular attendees or drifting away? Are ministry leaders following up on their requests? Has the kids’ team reached out? Having all this information in one place empowers your volunteer team to pick up the conversation where it left off instead of starting from scratch. Modern systems can even generate follow-up lists tailored to specific needs, such as first-time visitors, those awaiting a response, or those ready to dive deeper into church life.
One major bonus of having this data in your primary database is for returning visitors. It’s common for people to attend once and return after a year or more. When they do, you’ll have all the information from their last visit and can pick up the conversation seamlessly.
Use Your First-Time Guest Process to Draw People Closer to Jesus
Follow-up is the time to get creative and ensure that someone’s first experience with your church matches your culture. Some churches host monthly “Meet the Pastor” events or quarterly lunches for guests, while others go all out with gifts. Find what fits your church’s culture and allows you to create easy “yes” opportunities for them to get engaged.
Our goal is always to draw people closer to Jesus, no matter where they are in their spiritual journey. Remember, God has brought this person to your church for a reason—even if it’s only for a week or two. Seek to discover that reason and partner with Him in drawing that person closer to Him.
Looking for guidance on building or improving your guest process?
Schedule a call, and let’s see how Church Logistics serves your church.
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