Church New Guest Experience

Today I was able to attend a church in Hartford for the first time.  It is a church I have been meaning to go to for a while.  I literally have not had a Sunday morning free (not working or out of town) in months. Today I am scheduled to work dinner at the restaurant, so I was free Sunday morning.

As a pastor, church planter and church consultant I have worked with lots of churches on how to create great weekend experiences — both for first time guests and regular attendees. So it is interesting for me when I get to be a first time guest. To be honest, usually the experience leaves me more frustrated than anything. Today was refreshingly different.

Here are some random thoughts on my experience, with an emphasis on the logistical/surface issues — the very kinds of issues that new guests and seekers will look at.

First, an observation about the process of going to church — something that is important for pastors and church leaders to remember (and it is so easy to forget).  I love church, miss church and want to go to church.  That puts me further along than most potential first time guests. That said, it was still a battle to go and get there this morning.

I worked 10 hours yesterday and then went out to a movie and dinner with a friend last night. I have to work this afternoon/evening and am generally a bit run down by the busy pace of life. So as my alarm wend off this morning, I seriously considered whether it was worth going. Would I be better off sleeping in? Enjoying some personal sabbath and quiet time at home? Would the effort to go be worth it? I don’t really like new social situations very much and tend to avoid them… why should I go?  

Then I was running a bit late… worried about finding it, finding parking, etc… maybe I should just go to Starbucks…

All of this runs through my mind before I even get there. If I had a family, it would be even harder… spouse, kids, etc.

A good lesson to remember for all pastors and church leaders: it is a big deal when a new guest shows up at your church.  It has probably already been a battle to get there.  You’ve got to make it a great experience for them!  As a pastor, I was told a number of times of people who actually showed up at church 2-3 times, but never made it in from the parking lot.  For whatever reason — Will I fit in? Am I dressed appropriately? Will I be judged? Will there be anyone like me there? — going to a church for the first time can be a scary and intimidating experience. So give thanks for your guests… and care for them well!

OK… some observations:

– I first went to the website to get service times and directions.  Both were easy to find and clear.

– Parking was not easy.  Even though the website gave some suggestions, by the time I got there I couldn’t remember the details.  Some better info online, and a parking attendant, would have been really helpful.

– Because of parking issues, I arrived in the building (a rented facility… not a traditional church building late).  There was very good signage on the building, but no gretter to say hello or give me a bulletin/program, etc.

– The first thing you hear when walking in was some great worship music.  I knew the church was small, so I kind of assumed I was hearing piped in “canned” music (it was really good).  I discovered it was actually the worship team leading worship… really high quality.

– I was impressed by the directional signage, coffee and food table, etc.

– Once I found a seat, the person sitting in my row noticed me, said hello, shook my hand, etc.  Not a designated “greeter”.  This is a good thing for a church… a culture of “everyone is a greeter.”

– I thought the quality of music and set-up was outstanding.  The space was pretty stunning and it was well set-up.  The band was excellent, very tight, etc.  The lighting, screens, video, stage, etc, were all well done.  The sound mix and acoustics were really outstanding — a real challenge in a portable space.  I was drawn into worship almost instantly.

– The sermon was very good. Lots of scripture, good visuals, strong relevance and application, both approachable and challenging. I was late, so not sure if there was a reading or not. I hope so because that would have helped engage the sermon better.  

– During the offering there was a special collection for Haiti and a well-done video piece to go with it. I appreciated this. It showed that the church was relevant, aware of what was on my heart/mind, and it instantly gave me a chance to participate and feel good about the experience. As a guest, these were all good things.

– I was asked to fill out a connection card… pencils were available from an usher. I appreciate the pencil, but mine wasn’t sharp. The card also didn’t quite give enough space to fill out all they wanted.  I think they could have done a better job with using the connection card and setting it up, but this is a minor issue.

– My only small critique of the service is that the transitions between pastor/music team/announcements/etc were a bit stilted. This is very common and I think a really easy place for churches to focus on improving the overall experience is to focus on transitions.

– When the service was over, several people introduced themselves and were friendly. It was clear where I could get coffee/pastry, etc. This was nice because this can be a time of anxiety for new folks. One person chatted for me a while and then had to go, but was quick to say “See you next week?” I hadn’t yet thought about next week… so this was a nice thing. I happen to be working next Sunday, but otherwise I would have probably said yes… and then would be pretty likely to follow up by showing up.

Overall, I give the church very high marks for new guest experience. I was impressed, I was able to really worship, I met people, felt comfortable and both enjoyed and was challenged by the message.  I wish every church I visited was like this. Overall, well done.

If I was consulting with the church I would suggest looking at the parking issue and the “parking lot to lobby” experience as being the primary place to improve. I don’t know yet what the new guest follow up will be, but I am a big believer in a 24 hour contact (email) and 96 hour contact (card/letter)–it greatly increases the chances that I will come back.

What have been some of your experiences as a new guest at churches? Good… bad… ugly?