Wednesday, December 10, 2014

11 Practices Of Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To

11 Practices Of Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To

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A dark reality exists for many Christians that deep down they don’t talk about at parties.  Many Christians, if they would be totally transparent, are extremely nervous to bring their unchurched friends to their weekend services.  This concern comes from a variety of things.  Lack of excellence, outdated music, rude members and boring sermons are just a few of many hurdles Christians must overcome before inviting their friends who are unchurched.
This past Sunday my wife received a phone call from a friend who joyfully said, “The young couple we just met came to church today.  They had a great time.  I am so proud of our church.”  I immediately followed up to find out what were the key factors in this young couple, who also had a newborn baby, having such a great experience.
The following are 11 Practices Of Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To:
  1. Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Act Like They Are Expecting Unchurched People To Show Up - This church had clear signage upon entering the property which directed them directly to easy-access Visitor Parking.
  2. Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Are Genuinely Glad Unchurched People Showed Up – Upon entering their parking space, an attendant opened the door of the wife and helped them get their newborn baby out of the vehicle.  As they walked toward the building, the attendant said, “We’re glad you’re visiting with us today.”
  3. Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Have People Designated To Serve Them – Upon entering the church building, the attendant handed the family over to a nice female greeter.  This was the second point of contact in just a few moments.
  4. Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Give Unchurched People Multiple Options – The greeter then provided the family multiple options on what to do with their baby – nursing room, nursery or the best places to sit in the sanctuary.
  5. Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Are Proactive And Well-Informed – After presenting the mother with the three options, she then gave her a tour of each area.  The greeter was well-informed on both the church as well as the needs of this young family.
  6. Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Are Concerned With Their Children’s Safety – Security and the safety of children are big deals to both church and unchurched people.  The greeter went over how the entire security process worked if they chose to leave their baby in the nursery.  This included a numbering system which would be shown on an overhead screen.  The visiting mother was also introduced to another lady stationed just outside the sanctuary doors who would escort her back to the nursery if she needed to leave the service and see her baby.
  7. Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Are Generous To Unchurched People – After taking her on a tour and making sure their baby was adequately cared for, they were given a gift which included a wrapped mug with a Starbuck’s gift card.
  8. Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Meet The Needs Of Unchurched People – After receiving their gift, the couple was taken to the church cafe where they were served quality (not cheap) complimentary coffee and muffins.  At this point they are ready to attend the morning worship service.
  9. Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Create Services Unchurched People Love To Attend – The young husband was ambushed by a worship service unlike anything he attended as a boy.  What a pleasant surprise.
  10. Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Create Memorable Events For Unchurched People – The church happened to be taking family photos this past Sunday.  With their baby just being a couple of months old, the family received a tangible memory for their first outing together.
  11. Churches You Are Excited To Take Your Unchurched Friends To Are Churches Unchurched People Come Back To – The couple told my wife’s friend, “This was great.  We’ll be back next week.”
Is your church a place Christians are excited to take their unchurched friends to?  Use this list of 11 practices to judge how you are doing?

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