Video: Welcome church visitors with a video like this
As a consultant when I'm not preaching at a church, I am usually visiting churches to analyze worship services and/or facility improvements. Recently I experienced a great method for making visitors feel welcome. Plus, this method was a good use of the pastor's time.
A video welcome to each visitor.
Visitors to our churches usually feel like outsiders when visiting, unless they have friends already in attendance. Jesus modeled personally the importance of reaching out to outsiders, when nine times he initiated conversations with outsiders in need, e.g. a Samaritan woman (John 4:7-42), a crippled beggar (John 5:1-15) and 25 times Jesus responded to outsiders' questions, e.g. a rich young ruler (Matt. 19:16-30), a demonized person (Mark 5:1-20), a hemorrhaging woman (Mark 5:24-34).
Many pastors are better at speaking than they are at sitting down and writing a letter. In this video example, giving a pastor the opportunity after church to record a 60-second video welcome to each guest has several advantages.
Advantages:
First, if recorded immediately after the service, it allows the pastor to think back about the visitor and recall details if they met. The pastor may recall personal details of the outsider that might escape their memory if the video is recorded a day or more later.
Second, pastors who are good at preaching are usually good at communicating visually. A visual method of reaching out to outsiders utilizes the pastor's strength as a communicator.
Third, researchers tell us that a video is more likely to be watched, than a long email is to be read. So take some ideas from this pastor's welcome to my family and me, and garner ideas that you can use to connect with those who are reaching out to your church.
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Bob Whitesel (D.Min., Ph.D.) is a foresight coach, professor, and award-winning author of 14 books. For over 30 years, he has guided leaders and churches to pivot and engage what’s next. He holds two earned doctorates from Fuller Theological Seminary and teaches on leadership foresight, church health, and organizational change. His website is www.ChurchForesight.com. Learn More » |
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