The following are helpful tips for creating a welcoming atmosphere.
A GREAT WEBSITE
The first contact people have with a church is virtual. They will check out a website before they try out a physical site. A well-designed website goes a long way towards helping people feel welcome. The critical elements to a good website are listed below.
Offer a contemporary design. Just because you have an online presence does not mean you are relevant—all online presentations age. The key is not being static. The present state of ministry must be current. The site must be attractive (white space is your friend) and easy to navigate. This task is usually for the professional web designer, trained staff person, or talented layperson. It is not the job of the Sr. Pastor.
Use a simple domain name. The more aligned it is with your church name, the better. Keep it relevant and user friendly. Don't use multiple websites.
Present a low denominational presence. Denominational information does not have to be kept secret, but not be the first thing people experience.
Offer multiple device formats. Most people will access a site with a mobile device. Make sure you are phone and tablet friendly. Offer instructions about how to store the site as an icon, bookmark, or download it as an app if available.
Give clear pathways. Some people will access the site repeatedly. Make sure there are simple pathways to these areas. Drop downs and thumbnails are helpful options.
Align with the vision of the church. Ideally, navigation should be by different elements (words) of the vision. For instance, Focus on God's Word, Multiply Extraordinary Prayer, Cast Vision, Train Believers, Go Out Among the Lost, See Groups Start, Ongoing Coaching.
Identify the beliefs of the church. Provide a simple (abridged) statement of faith for those looking for a general explanation. Provide a link to a more detailed (unabridged) description for those looking for a more in-depth explanation. See The Well Community Church (Fresno). Consider using the Lausanne Covenant as a statement of faith. Many churches use it as their defining document.
Stay current with events and information. Post start and end dates for multi-week events.
Offer subscription options. Give people a chance to stay in touch with updates through various social media and communication pathways. Let them customize how they stay informed. Have several different social media icons available for information options.
Make sermons available in multiple formats. These include written, audio, and video. Give entire service and message only options.
Make “I’m new here” easy to identify and navigate. It's the virtual informational booth. Post the service times, information, and locations on the home page. People should not have to search to find this information. Make the complete address (street, city, state, zip) as an active link to a map so newcomers can use it to navigate to your location. Post an active link to a phone number so people can call to ask questions. Leave service time and location information on a recorded message.
Post God stories. Create a community site where people can post and comment about how God is involved in their lives. Tie it to the vision of the church, a preaching series, or a church-wide campaign.
Include drop downs so people can navigate quickly. For instance:
Make sermons available in multiple formats. These include written, audio, and video. Give entire service and message only options.
Make “I’m new here” easy to identify and navigate. It's the virtual informational booth. Post the service times, information, and locations on the home page. People should not have to search to find this information. Make the complete address (street, city, state, zip) as an active link to a map so newcomers can use it to navigate to your location. Post an active link to a phone number so people can call to ask questions. Leave service time and location information on a recorded message.
Post God stories. Create a community site where people can post and comment about how God is involved in their lives. Tie it to the vision of the church, a preaching series, or a church-wide campaign.
Include drop downs so people can navigate quickly. For instance:
About Us
|
Cast Vision
|
Include a “what’s coming up, what you missed” element. Some churches post and publish an e-bulletin each week. Offer subscription options, so relevant information is outbound in a personalized manner.
Provide multiple information options so people can customize how they receive information. I.e. Facebook, Meta, Twitter, etc.
Make sure the website is easy to edit and quick to access by ministry leaders who need to add, edit, or change information on the fly.
Include “who we are." It should include vision, statement of faith, staff bios, etc.
Add a "chat" option. Create a "Chat" ministry team to oversee this function. Make sure it does not consume existing pastoral staff. Make it a Ministry Team.
Think globally. Incorporate an everyone, everywhere strategy. The local church website should no longer be just an electronic bulletin board for local attenders. It should be the mother ship of content that is outsourced on multiple social media platforms to reach everyone, everywhere. The universal content on the home site can modified to fit specific platforms in such a way to generate an online audience that calls the church home but never sets foot in a physical building because they live in different regions of the country or different places in the world. Produce content locally to be consumed globally.
Look at great websites. Pay attention to what's relevant and useful. New does not always equal better. Google "Ten best church websites" and study the results. Whatever you do, don't stay static. Don't age. Look at the most popular website you access and identify principles that can be transferred. I.e. Google, Costco, Amazon, etc.
Provide multiple information options so people can customize how they receive information. I.e. Facebook, Meta, Twitter, etc.
Make sure the website is easy to edit and quick to access by ministry leaders who need to add, edit, or change information on the fly.
Include “who we are." It should include vision, statement of faith, staff bios, etc.
Add a "chat" option. Create a "Chat" ministry team to oversee this function. Make sure it does not consume existing pastoral staff. Make it a Ministry Team.
Think globally. Incorporate an everyone, everywhere strategy. The local church website should no longer be just an electronic bulletin board for local attenders. It should be the mother ship of content that is outsourced on multiple social media platforms to reach everyone, everywhere. The universal content on the home site can modified to fit specific platforms in such a way to generate an online audience that calls the church home but never sets foot in a physical building because they live in different regions of the country or different places in the world. Produce content locally to be consumed globally.
Look at great websites. Pay attention to what's relevant and useful. New does not always equal better. Google "Ten best church websites" and study the results. Whatever you do, don't stay static. Don't age. Look at the most popular website you access and identify principles that can be transferred. I.e. Google, Costco, Amazon, etc.
PREFERRED PARKING
Some churches direct first-time attendees to a special place to park. They also provide Ministry Team personnel to help first-time visitors navigate their way from their seats in their car to their seats in the sanctuary, along with any necessary stops in between.
CLEAR SIGNAGE
Provide simple directions that help newcomers find their way around. This is essential. First-timers need to know the locations of the following: bathrooms, childcare, sanctuary, and information booth. Make sure the signage is above head level. Many churches make the mistake of deciding the location of signage when no one is around, not realizing when people are present, they block the signs. Don't place them in front of tables at floor level. Make sure they are easy to understand. Don't use insider jargon or hard to understand terms. If the Infant ministry is called "Precious little ones," refer to it as "Children: newborn to walkers."
FRIENDLY GREETERS
A friendly but not intrusive greeting blesses newcomers. It's possible to over greet as well as under greet. A warm reception includes statements like "Welcome, it is good to see you today" or "I'm glad you're here today." It might also include statements like, "Does anyone need any help or have any questions?"
Over greeting might include trying to shake hands with everyone and asking people how they are doing. Some people prefer not to be touched by someone they don't know. Others aren't comfortable with the answer they would have to give. Not everyone who attends church for the first time is doing well. That may be why they are visiting. An inquiry about how they are doing may come across as intrusive. People don't need questions as much as they need a friendly welcome, direction, and encouragement.
Locate greeters at entry points to the property, not just the sanctuary. This is especially important if the children's ministry or other family program locations are different from the main meeting building.
HELPFUL USHERS
Helpful ushers provide written literature, aid with seating, respond to special needs, answer questions, and oversee the overall status of the seating. It's one thing to encounter nice people outside the sanctuary, it's another to interact with helpful ushers inside.
VISIBLE INFORMATION CENTERS
Locate the Info Center(s) in a logical places. If there are multiple entrances to a sanctuary or campus, make sure there are signs pointing towards its location. A ministry team comprised of adults, and capable young people serving as escorts who assist people to their desired location should host serve there. Don't assume the people who are visiting your church understand where to go and what to do. Some first-times are by themselves. Hence, they don't know the lay of the land. They don't know the way around.
SECURE AND EFFICIENT CHECK IN FOR CHILDREN
It will not matter what else you do well if you don't get this right. The well-being of children is the number one priority for visiting families. Check online and with other churches in your area to find out about the latest and most secure check-in procedures. They are always updated and improved. Be up to date on this. Make sure adults, not youth, handle check-in for children. Teenagers can be on-site but only as helpers. It should go without saying that everyone working with children and youth should have passed a background check. Publicize this to newcomers.
APPROPRIATE SANCTUARY MOOD
The right lighting and music, scrolling announcements on a video screen create a good mood. A five-minute countdown clock in the corner of the screen is helpful as long as you begin on time. Posting a relevant passage of Scripture as the countdown ends are an excellent way to create a worshipful mood. It's good to start the service with praise music. A verbal greeting can be hard to hear over the white noise of pre-service mingling. Side note: provide a pen if you have a place for message notes. Ending the service with music that reflects the nature of the service is a pleasant way to close out the celebration service. Setting the volume right is also important. Too loud, or too soft can be distracting.
Attenders should look forward to the celebration service. They should be excited at the prospect of experiencing inspiring corporate praise. They should be eager to engage the vision of making disciples of all nations. There should be a buzz about the mission of the church. They should be refreshed by the teaching of the Scriptures. The Great Commission church is a Bible centered and mission-driven church.
CONSTANT FEEDBACK
Use a First Impression card. It is a critical tool that helps the church stay relevant to newcomers. It's part of a welcome letter. It's essential because leadership can become blind to the things newcomers notice right away. The card contains three questions: "What did you notice first?" "What did you like best?" and "What is one way we can improve?" It should be a self-addressed, stamped, anonymous postage card included in a welcome letter. It should be read by appropriate leadership and passed along to relevant Ministry Team Leaders.
Use a First Impression card. It is a critical tool that helps the church stay relevant to newcomers. It's part of a welcome letter. It's essential because leadership can become blind to the things newcomers notice right away. The card contains three questions: "What did you notice first?" "What did you like best?" and "What is one way we can improve?" It should be a self-addressed, stamped, anonymous postage card included in a welcome letter. It should be read by appropriate leadership and passed along to relevant Ministry Team Leaders.
EFFECTIVE MINGLE TIME
Mingle time is where people interact with one another in friendly, and personal manner. It's essential and occurs before and after the celebration service. Mingle time can be in a foyer, patio, fellowship hall, sanctuary, etc. It's an area where people naturally and casually converse with one another. It should include a free drink (coffee, etc.) and maybe a snack (as long as people don't have to wait in line). Productive mingle time can determine if people conclude whether or not the church is friendly. It's that important.
Don't assume that just because there is a designated area with drinks and snacks that the mingle time is productive. Over time it can become ingrown. Regularly evaluate its effectiveness and do what's necessary to keep it fresh. Ideas might include changing the location, shifting the time, modifying seating options, etc.