As a new year begins, evaluate the effectiveness of your guest follow-up. How are you doing? What do you do to follow up on guests who attend Sunday School? How much follow up is done in the first 36 hours following a guest’s attendance? How persistent are your efforts? Who is responsible?
Take your temperature in the following areas:
- RECORDS. You should collect contact information from all guests. You should keep protected permanent copies of this information, and each class should be able to access copies of this information every Sunday from which to make follow up assignments. Follow up information should be recorded.
- GREETERS. Every adult and youth class should have assigned greeters who greet/befriend guests; introduce/sit with them; take them to children, restrooms, and worship; and call within 36 hours to express thanks for attendance, invite to a fellowship, and ask for prayer requests.
- CARE GROUP LEADERS. These leaders take ongoing responsibility for guests/prospect follow up. They call guests each week. They care for needs expressed, pray for/with guests, invite to class fellowship/projects, share about study plans, etc.
- CONTACTS/VISITS. Home visits still work. Take a gift. Make them brief; visit at the door if necessary. Connect a member with the guest around an area of common interest. Make calls and send handwritten cards/letter with personal appreciation/interest. Formula for how many contacts to make: number of times they don’t attend plus one.
- FELLOWSHIPS/PROJECTS. Get acquainted with guests away from church. Invite them to fellowships and ministry/service projects. Invite them to your home. Some enjoy social times; others enjoy helping people. Fellowship/projects are great excuses to invite guests to begin or continue relationships.
Each area scores up to 20 degrees, with a potential total temperature for the five areas of 100 degrees. Evaluate each area. What was your total temperature?
- 75-100 degrees is hot (you are doing a great job of guest follow-up)
- 50-74 degrees is lukewarm (there is still more you could do)
- under 50 degrees is cold (much potential is being lost; focus on major improvement of one area)
Pray. Talk with your class leaders. Evaluate your efforts. Decide where to start. Make assignments. Focus. Take one step at a time. Decide to stop being cold or even lukewarm. Be hot for God. Be revolutionary!
Leave a Reply