10 Things You Can Do to Help Visitors Feel More Comfortable

How do visitors feel when they come to your church? We need to think about this constantly. If we don’t, we forget why we exist (which is to help everyone experience a real relationship with Christ). So here’s ten things you can do:

1) Don’t park in the best spots. Save those spots for people who are new. The front row or section in the parking lot should be relatively empty until the time church starts.

2) Say Hi to people you do not recognize. Smile. Remember you are showing God’s love. Don’t screw that up. Someone visited FOSM a few weeks ago and said only staff people said Hi. We can do tons better.

3) Sing with all of your heart. Don’t just sit there with a frown on your face and make new people think it must suck to follow Jesus.

4) During the message, listen with all of your heart. Why? See #3…

5) Go into the auditorium before or as soon as the service starts. It says you think it’s important to be in there…

6) It is AWESOME to see people we know and love at church. But, save the big talks until about 6 minutes after the service ends. New people leave ASAP.  Use the time right after the service to meet them before they are gone.

7) Come to church 10 minutes early and meet people who are sitting in the auditorium waiting for church to start. At FOSM, most of the people in the auditorium 5 minutes before the service are new people.

8) Speaking of Early… Children’s ministry stuff should be set up and ready to go at least 30 minutes before the service starts. First time guests are the people who are MOST LIKELY to show up early. If the class isn’t set up, or if there is no teacher in the class, a first time visitor will not feel like their kids will be safe. If that is true, they probably won’t come back. Even if it only happens once (the Sunday they are there) they will think every Sunday is like that. Our Children’s Ministry is AWESOME and strives to be the best in the city. We would never want anyone to think otherwise.

9) Don’t get up during the service to go to the bathroom or get a donut or whatever. It communicates that it all just ain’t that important. It’s like we are saying “meh” to God.

10) Get excited during the offering time. It shows we love God and are excited about what He is doing. It shows we have BOUGHT INTO His Vision!

BONUS: Be nice, think of others, and have fun.

Parents and Teens: What the Heck are We Thinking?

I have pastored, mentored, led, etc tons of young people over the years. It has ALWAYS bugged me when parents let their kids’ sports “careers” dictate their schedules… even if it meant not going to church events. I’ve seen it over and over… a soccer game is chosen over a Sunday service… a tournament is attended that keeps kids from a summer camp or retreat. I know a lot of those kids as adults now. They have missed out on a LOT. They have gone through stuff they didn’t have to. Some still are not “all there” spiritually. Guys, this WHIPS me! If you are a parent, think long term about the impact of your decisions on your teen. I’m not saying it is always wrong, in every circumstance, but why is it that the church events always get ignored? Teens, why not rebel against what’s “normal?” Let your coach know you won’t be missing church for games or practice anymore. What’s the worse that can happen**. What if all of the Christians did the same?

I found this blog post today:

http://www.prestonmitchellblog.com/prestons_blog/2009/01/student-pastors-revolt.html?cid=145182490

Whether you are a teen or parent, I DARE YOU TO READ IT! It’s written to Student Pastors, but it’s perfect for parents and teens to read. There’s too much at stake to ignore it. Please post your comments!

**UPDATE Ok, I thought about this. The worst that could happen is that you are kicked off the team and don’t get a college scholarship. Sounds bad. But, if you give up something now, or get an extra job, you can save for college and you won’t have to rely on a scholarship. Is it really worth risking eternity anyway?