Steal My Exact Church Visitor Follow-Up Process [Free Template]

[@reachright]

How often do you follow up with visitors after their first visit and what is the biggest challenge in your visitor follow-up process?

[@ElderYvesJ]

I send an email out on Sunday or Monday. I follow up on Wednesday or Thursday. I invite them to the follow Sunday Service on Saturday.

[@shannonsundby5725]

As someone who has spent the past two years trying to find a new church community- this feels very fake and programmed, to be honest. I'm searching for solid biblical teaching, doctrine taught, and real believers. If conversation isn't real and communication isn't real, it is easy to see right through it. A church should be the last place to find deceptive tactics used on people. As someone visiting a church for the first time, if I was inundated with this type of systemic approach, I would cross the church off my list. I'm not looking for false attention but people to genuinely commune with. If people are genuinely kind, hospitable, and welcoming of visitors , people don't need to be taught. Either the church is a group of people led by the Holy Spirit, focused on the Word of God or they are a religious social club needing their numbers to grow for the purpose of needing those people for service and revenue to fund the system. So many "churches" have lost sight of what a church is and what is the purpose of church. Too many churches try to compete against one another - not growing believers to maturity, not equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, not sending forth the message of the gospel- but just growing a "church" in size and image. The typical visitor is usually treated as an unbeliever. That has been my experience. When in reality they are switching churches. Find out why. Because if they are leaving for unbiblical reasons their former church, they should be encouraged to return. If switching churches for biblical reason, then there is highly likely church hurt that needs to be ministered to. Visitors are people. They are souls Jesus cared about. Not a prize to be won. Visiting a church for the first time can be extremely difficult. Churches need to be careful with their heart and motives when it comes to visitors.

[@paulbacon5056]

I agree. I think if I gave my email or phone number to the church on my first visit, maybe I'd be ok with the first Sunday message, and then maybe one Thursday inviting me back to the next Sunday, but having all the other messages would hint at desperation from the church for me to attend. I'm in the UK so maybe I just have a different outlook on things.

[@shannonsundby5725]

@paulbacon5056 I agree. A communication or two with a sincere invitation to ask questions and to visit again is more than sufficient. If it takes more than that then the visitor is "self-focused" and has a consumer mentality of church. Then you have to ask what type of people is the church trying to attract. True maturing believers will know if it is a sound church by its doctrine and teaching of God's Word. A man-centered church is not a God-centered church. One is operating in the flesh to please people, and one is operating in the spirit to please God.

[@reachright]

We are all about solid Bible teaching, doctrine, and real believers too! In our experience, this doesn't have to feel fake if done well. The main point is that church leaders need to consistently reach out to their visitors in order to build relationship. Most churches struggle in this area and many find having a framework helpful. Thanks for your perspective Shannon! Praying you find a great church!

[@shannonsundby5725]

@reachright My perspective is coming from leaving a church after 3 decades that I was fully committed to and faithfully serving. The Church began implementing tactics such as this video describes for the purpose of growing in numerical numbers. I have visited, some multiple times, over 25 churches of various sizes the past two years. I have experienced walking in and out of churches without anyone even saying hello. I have experienced the inundation of communication which is never coming from people who truly have any interest in me it is just their job to move people down the pipeline...into the "next step". No one cares! Once moved onto the next step or next person, you will never hear from the first person again. They won't talk to you on a Sunday morning, they won't even remember you, because now they are after this weeks new people. And certainly the pastor has no interest or time beyond the initial systematic make the person think the pastor wants to meet new people initiative. I have had a few experiences that were more welcoming- they always came from regular people attending. When someone genuinely engages in a conversation and then remembers your name or at least the initial conversation and makes an effort to greet you again and introduce you to other people then the church will be more successful retaining visitors because the culture of the church is welcoming to visitors. For some of us, visiting a new church is a very difficult process. Those "trained" to "deal with" visitors, from my experience, have no idea what the visitor is carrying or the reasons that brought them to a church. It can be a whole lot more complicated than....persuading a person that the church has a great children's program and placing people at every door to say good morning. And very discouraging to continually be assumed to be and treated like an unbeliever or a new believer at every church I visit. Equally discouraging to be pressured or fast tracked by some churches into service for the church before even getting to know people or having a chance to assimilate.

[@njspencer79]

@@shannonsundby5725 I have visited quite a few churches over the years. I'd avoid esp. evangelical churches. They seem to be the worst at this sort of nonsense. High and reformed seemed much better. They take their worship very seriously it won't bubbly sort of fake. Frankly the descending with the gift and connect card before or right after I sit down if my personal pet peeve. Reminds of some car dealerships I have dealt w/. Good luck.

[@dcfphoenix]

Great Stuff, THANKS!

[@reachright]

You're welcome!