Making First
Impressions Count
Authentically welcoming new people
Who am I?
Who are you?
Let’s take a moment to embody Christian hospitality
and greet one another
Biblical view of hospitality
15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax
collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for
there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the
law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax
collectors,
they
asked
his
disciples:
“Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who
need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners.”
Mark 2:15-17
How would you define a
“genuine welcome?”
7 minutes
The Pre-Service
The Pre-Service is your first opportunity for interaction with everyone who sets foot on your church’s
property - from guests to members.
What are you communicating before the service begins?
The Pre-Service
There are 4 areas of contact through which you
can influence your guests during the preservice that will go a long way to making the
first impression count.
1) Greeted
2) Directed
3) Treated
4) Seated
The Pre-Service
1) Greeted
“Everything speaks to first-time guests everything.”
- Nelson Searcy
The Pre-Service
2) Directed
Signs, signs, everywhere there’s signs...
- Five Man Electrical Band
The Pre-Service
3) Treated
What do guests want to feel when they visit
your church for the first time?
The Pre-Service
4) Seated
Our goal is to remove barriers so that the
message isn’t lost before it could be found.
What is your
welcoming quotient?
Worksheet
Do you have a story of being
genuinely welcomed?
How did it make you FEEL?
A contemporary truth:
Many of us Christians go to church today
with an attitude of a guest and not a HOST.
What’s the difference?
Genuine welcoming involves...
Genuinely welcoming churches are more
than just friendly congregations.
A welcoming culture...
● People are accepted
for who they are;
● People are supported
in sharing their
unique, God-given
gifts;
What are some of
the unique gifts of
those in your
church?
What prevents a church
from truly welcoming
newcomers?
To truly ‘Make a First Impression’
…....we have to understand a few things
about our first-time visitors.
Four Must - Know Facts about FirstTime Guests
1. Most church members are not friendly.
WHAT????
Do members greet guests with the same
intensity before and after the service as they
do during formal times of greeting during the
service?
Four Must - Know Facts about FirstTime Guests
2. Church guests are highly
consumer-oriented
Utilize the mystery guest audit
Four Must - Know Facts about FirstTime Guests
3. The church is in the hospitality business
Our ultimate purpose is spiritual,
but hospitality is a first step.
Four Must - Know Facts about FirstTime Guests
4. You only have one chance to make a
good first impression
What is your church’s “WOW” factor?
5 Tips for Welcoming Church Visitors
Tips & Ideas
Learning from each other
Let’s start at the very beginning
Utilize the Comfort Checklist and
Walk Thru Assessment tools
Ideas to Consider
● Parking Lot Hosts
● Look for good
listeners, not just
outgoing people to
serve as greeters.
Hear the needs of the
newcomer.
● Mentoring - a spiritual
apprentice
● Expanding idea of
hospitality outside of
Sunday morning.
Community partners,
etc.
● 50 ways Handout
● 24 hour contact rule
● After service
refreshment time
Ideas to Consider, cont.
● Nametags for
everyone!
● Child activity packet
to use during worship
● Keep communication
vehicles up to date
●Others? Let’s take
time to share ideas.
Next Steps
1. Assemble a team at your church/ministry
2. Pray about who God is calling you to extend radical hospitality toward
3. Be an example - extravagantly greet those you do not know on Sunday mornings.
4. Find ways to include new people in your ministries or groups
5. Extend Christian hospitality outside of the church walls.
Lasting Impressions
Remember that churches are just like families. When there is conflict at home most people don’t invite
guests over to watch. But when a family is healthy they offer the energy of faith, hope and love to one
another and to many outsiders.
Thank you!
adam@sgaumc.com