15 Efforts to Increase First Time Visitors in the small church
The pastors were surveyed as to their intentional efforts that seemed fruitful to reach new people and increase the retention of first time church visitors.
1. Emphasis on Invite a Friend
2. Utilize advertising — phone, letters, ads, signs
3. Start new programs
4. Welcome visitors better
5. Encourage lay visitation
6. Follow up with visitors
7. Conduct pastoral visitation
8. Focus on children’s ministries
9. Deliver visitor welcome packets and baked goods
10. Offer pastoral care to the community
11. Redirect existing programs outward
12. Clarify the meaning of being a Christian
13. Pray intentionally for unreached people.
14. Provide opportunities for new people to serve
15. Plan for special evangelistic events.
From Ron Crandall’s Turnabout and Beyond
As I look at this list I can’t help but be slightly disgusted. Just some random comments from the list
3. New Programs – Obviously the old programs like feed the hungry, visit those who are sick or in prison (ok, hopefully they won’t be first time visitors until they get out legally), are too old, heck they are practically Biblical.
New Programs, reminds me of professors requiring new versions of a textbook that has all the same content but a different cover.
4. Welcome friends better – ok, I agree with this one –but- I have to confess, I am tired of people who sit in the back row, stick their head in a book, make no eye contact, refuse to talk to people claiming “I’m shy” and then complaining that the church was cold and unfriendly.
5, 7 Visitation – Depends on who is visiting? I really don’t want a lot of women running around my house. There aren’t that many guys who I’d welcome into my house. Isn’t coming to my house by invitation, not “Hi, you filled out a card, we are 3 total strangers who are eager to fill your evening. Is it ok if we come in?
8. Focus on Children’s Ministries – Why? I go to a church where there are few children and even less I want to see. Unless they are the child of a member, I really don’t need to be stared at by a bunch of kids wanting free English lessons. Go home and get thee to a hagwon. Most of the foreigners in my church are child-free, most are single. Why would we want to have the very group that points at us, stares at us, and makes us feel like animals?
In general children don’t behave, have less supervision than a non-housebroken saint Bernard with a dead owner, and distracting to anyone attempting to love their neighbor (well at least those 13 or older). Unless they are on a parental leash keep them at home!
I have always liked the idea of a children’s bus ministry especially if it was going off a cliff. Assuming they were all saved, what’s the problem? Hey, don’t look at me like that!
9. Baked goods – Aren’t most Americans overweight? Maybe the church should give out salads instead. Why am I bribing you like a dog with treats to come to church? If you want to hear the gospel, you already have living water. If you don’t have living water, a brownie ain’t gonna do you much in hell.
10. Offer pastoral care to the community – Especially if it comes with cookies but keep the gospel out of reach. When I was in the hospital with my step-father before he died, I was amazed at how little the chaplains, who knew I was a Christian would talk about Jesus. They were so community oriented; they couldn’t speak the gospel if the ear bit them on the backside.
Ok, most of the above, should be taken with a grain of salt. Some I mean every word of. 
