Keep Them Coming: Ideas for Closing the Back Door of Your Church

An e-book from ChurchLeaders.com

Visitor Assimilation Its Not Rocket Science!

By Charles Arn

I sat affixed in front of my TV. THE BORG had just captured my hero and brought him onboard. You will be assimilated, a hideous-looking Borg intoned, raising his tentacles to the temples of Star Trek s Captain Picard. Resistance is futile! No, I shouted. Dont! It will be all over! I couldnt look (even though I knew what was going to happen, since I had seen the show before). Captain Picard was about to lose his ability to think for himself. He was going to be (gasp!) assimilated. A more intellectual approach to the term takes us to the dictionary, where assimilate is defined: To include into the larger whole; to involve; to make one. Moreover, Scripture offers numerous insights into the importance of our assimilation into the Body of Christ: The kingdom of faith is now your home country. You are no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here (Eph. 2:19, The Message). While ultimately, assimilation into a local church is a spiritual process, it can be facilitated by a loving church thats committed to making those connections. Heres a look at the critical checkpoints in the process of seeing outsiders becoming insiders. How is your church doing in each area? Attracting First-time Visitors You cant assimilate visitors if you dont have any. Thus, an obvious prerequisite to effective assimilation is having enough visitors. How many are enough? According to The Church Growth Ratio Book (Church Growth Inc.), 5% of a growing churchs total weekend attendance should be first-, second- or thirdtime visitors. Most churches average 1 to 2% visitorswhich is one reason why most U.S. churches arent growing. Making the Right Impression What kind of first impressions does your church make on visitors? Most churches dont know because their regular attendees can no longer see the church through a newcomers eyes. But first impressions have everything to do with whether or not visitors will return.

The first 10 minutes of the visitors experience present prime opportunities to say, Welcome. If you were to visit Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Pella, Iowa, youd be met in the parking lot by welcoming hosts. First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, Calif., stations hosts wearing red blazers and a Questions? button. The first 10 minutes before a service are an important time for making good first impressions, but apparently not the most important time. The Most Important Factor At Church Growth Institute, we have interviewed people after their first visit to a church. We asked: What most impressed (or depressed) you about the church you had just visited? One answer far outdistanced all others: the friendliness of the church. So, how did you determine whether or not the church was friendly? we then asked. Simple, they told us. It was whether or not anyone talked to us. Well, my friends, its apparently not rocket science, after all. There is a simple, yet profound relationship between the number of people who talk to a first-time visitor, and a visitors impression of the friendliness of that church: Many conversations = friendly church; few conversations = unfriendly church. The perceived friendliness of your church is the most significant factor in whether or not a first-time visitor will return. Critical Endings We asked one more question in our study: When did you conclude that the church was or wasnt a friendly church? The most frequent response surprised us. There is a 10-minute window in the 75 to 90 minutes most people spend in their first church visit, and that window is critical for the first impression of friendliness. When? It is the first 10 minutes following the service. The rules are now off. The people are who they really are. And thats when it really shows, our subjects said. A few years ago, my family and I visited Cornerstone Bible Church in Glendora, Calif., while looking for a new church following our move. At the end of the service, the pastor said to the congregation: Now, before we go, remember our three-minute rule here: No one can talk with a person they know for the first three minutes after the service. You can sit and meditate. You can leave silently. Or, you can talk with someone you dont know. Most chose the latter. I found it a freeing experience, which allowed me to turn to a stranger and start a conversation. Our three-minute conversation lasted 15 minutes. And guess who we looked for at that church when we returned for a second visit?

Returning: Seeing Visitors Come Back Upon closer study of the visitor assimilation process, a remarkable pattern appears. Remarkable, but logical: The more often visitors return, the more likely it is that they will stay. Several years ago, we conducted a study on visitor return rates. We asked churches to identify a continuous six-week period and observe the number of people who visited once, twice or three times in that timeframe. Then, one year later, we asked the churches to determine how many of those people had joined or become active. We found that 9% of those who visited non-growing churches one time during that six weeks became involved in that church the following year. However, of those who visited twice in the six-week period, 17% subsequently became active. And, even in non-growing churches, more than one-third of the newcomers who visited three times were now participating in that church. Electronic Support The question should leap off the page: Do we have an effective visitor follow-up system for more than just our first-time visitors? Tracking, contacting and following up on your visitors, new attendees and even regular attendees can be difficult and time-intensive. Yet, nothing is worse than someone falling through the cracks. Many churches have begun to use computer-based databases and visitor assimilation software. While these programs range in capabilities, sophistication and price, most churches have found that having some type of computer-based solution for tracking attendees is now a necessity. Nurturing: Building Relationships with Newcomers Try asking your new members the same question weve asked more than 40,000 laypeople in the past 11 years: Why did you join this church? If your people are typical, 75% to 90% of them will mention a friend or relative as a key part of the process. Relationships have been the most important factor in the expansion of Christianity since the first century. An effective assimilation strategy, therefore, will create a greenhouse in which new relationships between newcomers and church members are nurtured. In my own case, an important part of our eventual church selection grew from an invitation I received two days after our first visit. It was an invitation to become part of the church softball team. My wife was later invited to be part of a womens Bible study. Joining: Affiliation and Membership

A missing assimilation link in many churches is the Inquirers Class, where anyone can learn more about the church no strings attached. Our experience is that 85% of all graduates from such a class decide to join. Have high expectations for your new members. St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Trenton, Mich., tells its class that every member is expected to: 1) be regular in worship, 2) be involved in a small group, 3) give financially and 4) have a ministry in the church consistent with their spiritual gift. No wonder St. Pauls has a high member-to-attendance ratio and a low dropout rate. Make the Connection Assimilation. Its not rocket science. But, neither is it all intuitive. Theres much to learn. But its well worth our effort to learn it. For theres no doubt that the heart of God is filled with joy when the sheep He places in our care are all present and accounted forin your church.

8 Reasons Why People Aren't Coming Back

By Greg Atkinson

As a secret shopper or mystery worshiper of churches around the country, Ive found there are some reasons that I will tell a church I would not return for a second visit, and some may be news to you. Whether Im working with a church plant of 60 people or a mega-church of over 15,000, some things are universal and should be present regardless of church size. Throughout this post, well look at actions and areas every church needs to address. 1. The Front Door Before a guest ever steps foot on your churchs physical campus, he or she has probably already checked out your church Web site. What every church should have clearly visible on their homepage is a section or button for first-time guests. Once clicked on, this should take you to a page that addresses FAQs, service times, directions, parking instructions (is there a side of the building that is better to park on if one has kids?), what to expect (upbeat music and relevant, practical, Biblical preaching in a come as you are atmosphere, etc.), what to wear (are jeans okay? are shorts okay?), and encouragement for them to be sure to stop by Guest Central or your churchs Information Booth to pick up a first-time guest packet. 2. What Stinks? Its important that no church ever underestimates the sense of smell. While sight is the strongest sense for short-term memory, the sense of smell is the strongest and most vivid for long-term memories. If youve ever smelled something and had memories you hadnt thought of in years come flooding back, thats your sense of smell in action. Every church has the potential for positive or negative smells. Mold is a bad smell. Coffee is a good smell. Bleach is a bad smell. Citrus is a good smell. Many churches have restrooms that are disgusting and smell bad. This lack of attention to detail can be costly and discourage many from ever returning. As best you can, try to walk into the lobby or entrance of your church with a new nose. 3. Park Here

One of Tim Stevens three growth lids that he thinks every growing church should have is someone who is constantly watching is parking. Tim says, This is why Visitor Parking is so crucial. If its difficult for newcomers to go to your church, they wont go. Some would argue that guests want to remain anonymous and dont want special parking. Of course, some want to go unnoticed and will choose to park in regular parking (a minority), but for the rest of newcomers, they are appreciative for a close parking space; its a kind gesture in an already intimidating and nerveracking experience of attending a church for the first time, especially a large one with a huge campus. 4. This Way, Parents One way to assure guests will not return is to have a confusing, long, or hard to find process for getting their kids registered and in the right classroom. Wise churches have signs for first-time guest kids check-in and make the process quick and painless. Regular attendees may know to go up to the check-in kiosk and enter their phone number or swipe their card, but guests will be clueless and need a manned station that is clearly marked for guests with a volunteer to walk them through the registration. Then have that person or another helper walk you to your kids class, explaining what will be going on and how to go about picking their kids back up. If they must have a sticker with corresponding numbers on it to get their kids, this needs to be explained to them. Signage for the kids check-in should start in the entryway of the guest parking. Do not assume people know where to go once they enter the building. 5. Give It Away Something subtle but powerful is a church that has a generous spirit. Chris Hodges at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, AL, is big on this. They have a coffee shop, but they also have a designated area where people can get free coffee and not pay anything. They also give away their message CDs. Too many churches charge for everything and wonder why no one buys CDs of the message. If you want to bless people and create a generous spirit throughout your church, give away free coffee and message CDs (and other surprises throughout the year). Chris Hodges will have ice cream trucks pull up outside the church doors and give away free ice cream to congregants leaving on a hot, summer day. 6. Security Counts

One issue that is huge to a secret shopper and visiting families is security. If a parent is worried about their childs safety, they will not enjoy the service and will likely not return. A childrens classroom must be clean, safe, and secure. Security also includes the check-out process. If anyone can walk into a classroom and pick up a kid, youre asking for trouble and will turn off potential newcomers. Its important that your kids volunteers are trained well and know to ask for the parents sticker when picking up their kids. This is vital and goes a long way to ensuring a tragedy doesnt occur and a parent has peace of mind. 7. The Visible Pastor Accessibility of the senior pastor is another subtle and powerful statement of a church. Even pastors of the largest churches in America make an intentional and strategic effort to be seen, greeted, and hugged after a service. They may have a bodyguard present for security reasons, but they are available and willing to pray with people that need to speak to their pastor. Some churches have a designated Guest Central, like Steve Stroope at Lake Pointe in Rockwall, TX, or Brady Boyd at New Life in Colorado Springs. Some have a Meet and Greet like Charles Hill in Utah. Some pastors stand down at the altar and meet and pray with people like Kevin Myers at 12Stone in Atlanta. Some walk around the campus shaking hands like Don Wilson at Christs Church of the Valley in Phoenix. Erwin McManus at Mosaic LA has an After Party, at which the pastor is present and available to meet with newcomers. This, especially in a large church, goes a long way toward countering the rock star or unavailable pastor stigma that so many guests walk into the church expecting. 8. Finish Strong Its simply not enough for greeters and parking lot attendants to say Hello or Welcome when one walks into their church. To go to another level, have your first impressions team stationed at their posts when the service ends to say, Goodbye or Have a nice week. This goes a long way to wrapping a bow around the entire morning experience and will send them off with a lasting positive impression. Do these 8 things and youll see a greater return and higher percentage of second- and third-time guests.

10 Ways to Know Someone is Leaving Your Church

By Brian Dodd

Does it bother you when someone leaves your church? The reality is that every church has a back door. The key leadership question that must be asked is not Are we going to lose people? The reality is that you are. Here are the warning signs that indicate a potential move towards the back door is underway. If you see the following items, you should proactively reconnect and rebuild the relationship: 1. A decrease or complete loss in financial support. The last thing that comes is a persons money. The first thing that goes is a persons money. 2. The wifes body language. If you want to know if a man is happy, always look at his wife. 3. Tardiness to responsibilities. This indicates a loss of passion. 4. Minor items cause major frustrations. This indicates a lack of patience with the ministry. 5. Complaining. This indicates broad-based frustration with the ministry. 6. Excitement over another churchs vision. People naturally navigate towards a brighter tomorrow. 7. Divorce. When a divorce takes place, one individual will often leave the church. Sadly, the other person finds it difficult to fit in with their married friends and often leaves to start over at a different congregation. Having the children firmly planted into the church is the key to retaining this relationship. 8. Resignation of a volunteer position. This is the beginning of removing responsibilities and attachments. 9. No connection to a small group. If a person cannot connect relationally, they will leave the church. 10. A Mega-church opens a satellite location in your community. This is funnybut true.

My desire for you is to build a strong leadership culture at your church. Use this list to help keep leaders who can help you advance the mission and vision of the church.

5 Creative Ideas for Welcoming New Guests

By Mary Margaret Gibson

My friend Marjorie moved to my town to be closer to her family. She is a people person. When she visited my church for the first time, even if every other thing had been just right, she might have gone to another church if people had not been friendly! Steve thought he might visit a church in his neighborhood, but it was really hard to make himself go. He didnt know much about Jesus. But a friend of his said he liked the mens Bible study, and his friend didnt know much more than Steve did, so he thought he might go and look it over. It took three weeks for him to get up the courage to walk into a church alone. Betty is a single mom with three children in elementary school. More than anything, she wants Christian friends and Biblical discipleship for herself and her young family. People like these are in your community and may be visiting your church on any given Sunday. But remember, although there are visitors, there is no "typical" visitor. Here are some tips to help you engage all guests more effectively. Idea #1: Provide Welcome Centers Put a Welcome Center at every entrance to the church that a visitor might use on a Sunday. Put joyful individuals (not scary, over-the-top people-grabbers) at those centers to welcome people. At the centers, provide the church newsletter, a CD or DVD of a previous sermon, a list of some of the church projects and a leaflet with a short description of all the Sunday school classes and planned short-term mission trips. If you have youth and other specialty groups, make a leaflet for each one, describing what they do and when and where they meet. An investment in this center will pay off. Idea #2: Offer maps of your campus and directions. Guests can't go to places they can't find. Make a really colorful map of your campus, even if it is tiny. If you are in a neighborhood with lots of children, make a color, easy-to-read map, and on the reverse, put the map outline only so the younger kids can color it and print the locations on it during church. Put up directional signs, not just ads for whats going on at church. Use whatever languages are appropriate for your neighborhood. Idea #3: Update your website.

Declutter it and get all the ancient stuff out of there. Get six new people to tell you whats wrong with it and why they still cant find information on the current evening or home Bible studies. What did they try to find that they would never, ever find? Idea #4: Prepare regular attendees to respond well to guests. If theres no joy in our churches, dont you think we should get to work on that before we invite anyone to come? Stand up in the front and watch your congregation for a couple of Sundays. Do they sing? Well, get them to sing! Do they smile? Do they actually talk with one another before the service starts? Do they greet new people? When they greet new people, do they tell them anything valuable? For example, do they say, Youll love our church. We take care of each other here. Or do they say, Some of the best friends Ive ever had in my life I made in this great, friendly church. If they dont, suggest that they start saying good things when they meet someone they dont know. Do they ask any questions about people they dont know? Do they say something like, Ive missed meeting you before. My name is Paul Smith and this is my wife, Betty. Weve been in the area for about five years. How about you? Believe us: Some people do not talk to other people. Encourage this conversation, and tell people to do this before the service starts. Idea #5: Put lots of ways to connect into your church. If you have a website, make that website work for you. Have a button that says, Just Checking Us Out? and another that says, Ready to Get Connected? Behind Just Checking, put all the basic, simple information about the church and how to find things, park, get to meetings, services they can get from the office and on the Web, and hours for all the activities. Put your beliefs there and a simple presentation of the Gospel (you can use EvanTell's video from YouTube). Behind Ready, put all the service projects, all the small group contacts, the Sunday school and evening/morning Bible classes, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, GriefShare, and any other help groups you have with contact people and emails and phone numbers. The BESTIdea #6: Have some FUN with these new folks! God sent them to you for a really good reason!

7 Keys to Keeping New Guests

By Rob Overton

1. Measure what is measurable While worship attendance is hard to capture, adult small-groups classes are relatively simple. Children's activities are the simplest of all since security issues require us to keep accurate records anyway. So, measure what you can measure. Yes, you will get push-back from some of your established groups, but if you give them some context, you will get their support. By context, I mean they have to understand the issue is bigger than their group. If you show them you are trying to be good stewards of these people who are your responsibility, they will usually get on board. Ask them to help you be faithful with your responsibility. 2. Catch people on their way out of the back door One of the fundamental mistakes I see churches make is to focus on what has happened in the past. It is not that looking back is not of value, it just won't help you get anyone back! Gone is gone! Think of it this way: If someone gets upset and you recognize they are about to leave, you can intervene and smooth the situation. But if that person leaves, gets home and settles into their favorite chair in front of the TV, what are the odds of getting them to come back? Not very good, are they? It takes a person about four weeks to move from, "I don't think the church cares about me" to, "I know the church does not care about me." Catch them on the way out and this can be prevented. 3. Know who you expect to attend In order to know who was not in attendance, you have to know who was supposed to be in attendance. This sounds simple, but it is often counter to the way churches have kept their records for years. This means you are going to have to do some work to keep class rosters clean enough to know the difference. For example, a list of 100 kids who missed the past three classes is too large for you to effectively contact. In reality, there might only be five kids in that list of 100 who have been attending in the past few months. These five kids represent the five families that are on their way out the back door! This is the information you desperately need to know, and it is so often buried in the attendance reports of the church.

4. Use the right people to reach out to them In a group setting, sometimes the problem is a disconnect between the group itself and the person who is leaving. In this situation, the group leader is not in a position to help. This where the church staff can be very effective by helping people find a place where they fit better or acting as an intermediary to rectify a dispute. Make sure to offer a graceful way back in. I think people don't want to hurt anyone's feelings and think the easiest way to solve a problem is to just leave. If they are assured it is OK to try a new group or a new volunteer position, and that it might make all the difference. 5. Focus on families For the most part, children do not attend church on their own. So, if little Johnny has not been to his 4-year-old Sunday school class in three weeks, it is a very safe assumption Mom and Dad have not been there either. Since it is much easier to track children and students, use that information to prompt your efforts toward the families of those kids. This is particularly true of a family where the parents are not active in any other area than worship. Let the ministry area try to reconnect the individual, but treat a third or fourth time absentee as an opportunity to connect a family. 6. Build retention mechanisms and processes Mechanisms are just ways to find out who is leaving. This can be in the form of reports from your attendance records. It can also be from feedback from people in the church. You have to establish some policies on what kind of attendance pattern will trigger your retention processes. In some churches, this might be three absences in a row, while others might use four or five. Just make sure to stick to what is happening rather than what happened! Your processes are the methods you put in place to make sure those who are identified are contacted and assisted. This might include phone calls, emails, letters, texts, Facebook notes or any other method of communication that would be effective. These contacts have to be personal. No matter the form of communication used, sincerity and authenticity will be of the utmost importance. If people in the church trust you have good processes to follow up with people, I have found they are much more willing to share information with church leaders. They will not share information with you if they don't think it will make any difference. 7. Build processes for the major emphasis areas of the church

The difference between good intentions and success is often determined by the presence of a logical process. Constructed correctly, no one should ever slip through the cracks once they are identified. This is the same thing that must be done in an assimilation process for a newcomer to the church. The only difference is it has to be handled a bit differently. The processes you build will be logical steps that will lead to participation in that particular area of your church. This might be connection groups, serving opportunities, leadership roles, spiritual formation steps or any other activity you consider to be part of your "church core." I have spent thousands of hours helping churches build connection, assimilation and retention processes. As every church is unique, the processes are always slightly different. The most important element is an acknowledgment that it is critically important to guard the back door of the church. Church management systems (ChMS) today offer many ways to facilitate these processes, but they still require careful configuration and a very intentional approach to be effective. I have a good deal of experience in these systems, and it is important to choose one that fits your needs and is flexible enough to work the way you need it to work. I encourage you to step back and critically look at the situation at your church. If possible, bring in an objective third party to help you see what you can't see because of your proximity. As I have worked with churches across the country, I have found I can see both problems and possibilities in a situation just because I am a little removed from the day-to-day ministry of that particular church. I have been told many times by pastors that their stress level was lowered considerably when they established good processes of connection, care and retention. This is not one of those problems for which there is no answer. I believe any church can guard their back door if they are serious about it.

Should We Pursue Those Leaving the Church?

By Brad Powell

Q: Our church has been in transition for about 15 months, and we are still slowly losing people. The major problem and disappointment comes when the people who leave are dishonest with me and minimize the magnitude of their disagreement. Yet, they malign me to other members on their way out. Would you advise pursuing these members and lay leaders who are leaving our church or indicating theyre about to leave? A: I cant tell you how common this problem is and how often Ive experienced it in my own leadership. To both react and lead properly in this challenge, Ive chosen a foundational principle that I build my life and leadership on: I have to love people without needing them. In the early days of my ministry, I loved growthwhich I translated as successso I did whatever it took to keep every single person in our church. To me, each person represented growth and size. Anyone leaving seemed to represent failure. But I soon learned that this attitude was both unhealthy and destructive. It caused me to fight to keep people in the church who were undercutting the vision, biblical values, and enthusiasm we needed to reach new people and grow. They also were stifling the credibility and influence I was building as a leader. Realize this: people who are talking about leaving your church for negative reasons will not be positive or supportive. As a result, they will make it their goal to influence other people to think and act negatively. So I dont advise pursuing them or attempting to get them to stay. It wont be positive for your church or for them. Instead, as pastors we must love them enough to let them go and find a church that lives up to their expectations. We must love them without needing them. When we need them, we compromise the good of the church to keep them. I dont have to tell you that trying to keep these people isnt healthy or God-honoring leadership. The good shepherd protects the sheep from exposure to harmful and destructive elements, and this is the role we have as pastors. Nothing is more destructive than a wolf dressed up in sheeps clothing. So you must protect your church from people like this. In the early days of our transition at NorthRidge, a young couples class of nearly 60 people walked out of the church. Because the average age of our congregation was 60-plus, losing young people was about the worst thing that could happen to us. The only thing worse wouldve been surrendering our vision and values to their agenda in order to keep them. Though I desperately wanted

them to stay, I knew I couldnt allow myself to need them more than I needed to make the right decisions as a leader. The situation was difficult, but the shortterm loss has allowed our church to experience long-term gain we would never have found if Id tried to keep them. This heart-wrenching loss taught me a valuable lesson. Sometimes the best thing that can happen for the health of a church is for the right people to leave. By the right people, I dont necessarily mean bad or ungodly people. Though to be honest, this is sometimes the case. Rather, I mean those people who, for whatever reason, will never be part of the church moving forward. I strongly believe that you should let them go. But be prepared. These people dont generally leave quietly or respectfully. Ill never forget the very public words one disgruntled lady directed my way as she was leaving for the last time: You have the face of an angel, but the heart of a thief. Ouch. When people leave this way, they seldom are content to leave alone. Just remember: the negative splash wont last long, but the health and peace that follows will have long-term positive impact. Of course, youll always have caveats. If the problem stems from a misunderstanding with people who have proven to be good-hearted and have bought into the churchs new direction, pursuing a fix could very well be worth it. And I encourage you to do everything you can to mend those relationships. Though we must be willing to lose people, its certainly not the goal. But if fixing the misunderstanding requires you to change your ministry direction, its not worth it. Experience has shown me that negative people only have one agendato spread their negativity. So you must get them out fast, and then protect the rest of the congregation. When these situations erupted in our church, Id call together anyone or any groups of people I knew who had heard the negative comments and Id spend time with them. Id lay out the situation before them and talk about what they had heard versus the reality of the situation. In most cases, this honest interaction protected our church from misperceptions of reality, as well as the negative ripple effect that happens when people dont know the truth. But remember to address the issue with only the people potentially influenced by the negativity. Many years ago, my dad gave me good counsel: dont bring a hundred people in on something that only affects three. So while its your responsibility to protect the church, make sure youre talking to the appropriate people. Ive known many leaders who compounded the problem by introducing it to a larger group than necessary. And remember, you must love people without needing them.

Squaring Off with Church Dropout

By Sam Rainer

When my father, Thom S. Rainer, and I began looking at research about the young adult population, we were stunned. We knew anecdotally that people leave the church. And studying the latest research, we understood that many leave the church during their young adult years. What we did not realize was the concentration of people that leave during their college-age years. The dropout number that the research uncovered alarmed us: 70% of young adults drop out between the ages of 18 and 22. The number alone is numbing. Perhaps more distressing are some of the reasons why these students are leaving. Why Do Dropouts Leave? Their faith doesnt look like their parents faith. This generation likes to talk about faith. Many believe, rightly or wrongly, that they have faith. Religious matters do not scare them. Most maintain some level of interest in spiritual topics. But this generation must fuse faith and church, or else they see no reason to stay in church. Frankly, the faith of their parents is not reason enough for them to claim it as their own. One of the most glaring issues of estrangement for 18-22 year-olds is the gap between their personal belief system and their churchs stated beliefs. In other words, the churchs external beliefs, covenant, or confession goes against the personal and internal belief structure of the younger adult crowd. In fact, only 53% of all young adult churchgoers state that they agree with the beliefs of their church. Clearly, the dropout crisis isnt found in the style, venue, programs, or location of the church. This crisis is much deeper it runs to the core of the doctrinal truths of the church if only half of our young adults agree with the churchs teachings. Their lives change, and church attendance gets cut. Ninety-seven percent of dropouts stated that one reason they left the church was a change in their lives. Of all the major categories prompting someone to leave the church, this life change category was by far the most influential. The top ten life changes that affect the younger generations church attendance are as follows: 1. They simply want a break from church. 2. They move to college. 3. Work responsibilities change.

4. They move too far away from church. 5. They become too busy, though still want to attend. 6. They spend more time with friends outside of church. 7. School responsibilities prevent them from attending church. 8. They want to make life decisions not accepted by the church. 9. Family and/or home responsibilities prevent them from attending. 10. They lose touch with churchgoing friends. They see hypocrisy in the home. The age-old excuse of church hypocrisy has some merit, but our research found a new spin on the issue as it relates to young adults. This time, the problem of hypocrisy isnt rooted in general perceptions of the church as a whole. The dropouts see spiritual hypocrisy in their own family. Parents are attending church, and their young adult children see them participating in the worship service. But parents are not offering spiritual guidance to their young adult children. Basically, parents are not doing what they say, or perhaps more appropriately, parents are not saying as they do. How Can the Church Reclaim Dropouts? The tone of religious research can be quite negative. Numerous studies, including my own, point to the shortcomings in discipleship, assimilation, and other ministry areas. But I believe that God is still doing a great work in the American church. Quite frankly, many churches out there are reaching the younger generation. Some common themes exist in these churches that help them accomplish the goal of reaching and keeping this generation of dropouts. By moving from complexity to simplicity. The structure of the church is not nearly as important as other aspects, but the structure is the bones of a church. Without a clear structure, the ministries of the church have little muscle. Churches that keep dropouts have a simple structure. They have one simple mission statement that everyone knows, not fourteen different statements that have been piecemealed over several years. In this simplicity, they are intentional about a process of discipleship. This process is clear to everyone in the church. In other words, people understand how the church makes disciples, not just what the church slogan is. One of every five dropouts indicated that they had no meaningful relationships with other members of the church. That is a clear sign of poor structure. A healthy structure is designed with intentionality to move members into small groups, Bible study classes, and ministry groups. It is in the context of those groups that relationships are formed. A complex church will have a plethora of activities as well as too many organizations and programs. Despite the multitudes of programs, a complex church is typically weak at bringing members into meaningful Christian

relationships with one another. Frankly, these churches are just too busy at activities to be intentional at most anything, except maintaining their activities. By moving from shallowness to depth. Depth and relevance are not mutually exclusive. A church can connect with people without compromising the fundamentals of the faith. A number of dropouts admitted that they were biblically ignorant. They confessed that they only had a shallow knowledge of biblical doctrines. And while they usually took personal responsibility for their lack of biblical understanding, they also blamed many of the churches for the doctrinal ignorance. Over half of the church dropouts left the church because of differences or uncertainty about the churchs religious, ethical, or political beliefs. At least part of this problem can be directly attributed to shallow biblical teaching and preaching in the church. One dropout indicated that the doctrinal teaching at his former church was piecemeal Christianity. I would hear about passages from three or four books of the Bible in a single sermon, but I couldnt figure out how they tied together, one dropout told us. And then I would go to a small group, and we would talk about some great issues, but no one explained how it tied in to the totality of Scripture. I felt so embarrassed about not knowing where the books of the Bible were located, so I taught myself. After four years at that church, I had not received any significant doctrinal teachings. I cant blame anyone but myself for not being in some church, but I can blame the shallow teachings of my former church for at least part of the reason I left. The younger generation is, for the most part, bright and eager to learn. We do them a great disservice by failing to challenge them and instruct them in the depths of Gods word. By moving from low expectations to high expectations. Most young adults will seek employment. Why? It is expected of them. Most young adults will complete a level of education. Why? It is expected of them. Most young adults will remain loyal to friends and social networks. Why? It is expected of them. But over two-thirds of young adults that leave the church will drop out before their twenty-second birthday. Why? Church was an option. Church existed to serve them. In most cases, serving others through the church was never an expectation. Low-expectation churches make it too easy for young adults to drop out. And if you dont expect a behavior, you are unlikely to get it. Most of recent American church history has had low-expectations. Because the local church was comprised mostly of volunteers, leadership has been reticent to create an environment and attitude of accountability. As a consequence, membership expectations have been communicated with extreme caution, if at all, lest the members become offended and leave.

This low-expectation environment has been normative for most of the churches in which young adults have attended. Most of them have heard very little, if any, of what is expected of them as a church member. As a consequence, they have seen church as a low priority or even optional. Through parents providing spiritual guidance to their children. Doing church is not enough. Parents must talk to their children about why church and spirituality are essential. Children and teens must hear regularly from their parents or guardians as well as seeing their actions: do as I do, and hear what I say. The spiritual guidance that children hear from their parents weighs equally with the actions they see from them. By moving from inward decline to outward multiplication. Luke states it as matter-of-fact in Acts 2:47: And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved. He makes it seem that multiplication was just a natural part of the New Testament church. Why? Because it was. The church that is not multiplying, not reaching people, not starting new churches, and not involved in missions is the New Testament anomaly. Unfortunately, we have a lot of anomalies among our churches today. Many of our churches are producing a lot of soft and self-centered Christians, and the young people in our churches are getting the message. Through the actions of many of our church leaders, they are hearing that the church is all about them, that the church is there to serve them, and that the church is a place for all their needs and desires to be met. But churches that are outwardly focused are sending a different message: The church is not all about my needs; its about how I can glorify God as I meet the needs of others. This is the irony of the essential church. The outwardlyfocused church creates better inwardly-focused assimilation. As our young people meet the needs of others, they see that they are important to the life of the church, and thus they are prone not to enter the ranks of the dropouts. The church that is essential to the lives of the young adult generation is the church that communicates a process of discipleship through a simple structure. The essential church does not separate depth and relevance; the two go hand-in-hand. The essential church that reclaims dropouts holds this generation to a reasonable level of expectations. And the church that resonates with the dropout generation is one that maintains a culture of multiplication.

First Impressions: My VIP Experience at Elevation

By Tim Schraeder

First impressions matter. Oftentimes in the programming and planning of church services, we can quickly neglect an important aspect of our worship gatherings: how we welcome first-time visitors. As I travel around and visit churches, one thing I love to do is play the part of a secret shopper and experience how a first-time guest is welcomed at a church. I thought I had seen and heard all of the tricks and styles of welcoming visitors to churches, but my recent visit to Elevation Church in Charlotte, N.C., changed my perception. They literally treat their first-time visitors like VIPs. Heres how it went down: Rock Star Parking When we pulled up to the campus, there was a sign for first-time visitors to turn on their hazard lights to let the parking lot volunteers direct you to the VIP Parking reserved for guests. We did and were given a parking spot literally steps from the front door of the church. A VIP Welcome As we were parking, a volunteer came to our car and welcomed us. She was incredibly friendly and genuinely acted excited that we were there. She explained to us that at Elevation Church, every guest is treated like a VIP. She then handed us a VIP brochure that included a short note from Pastor Steven Furtick, notes for where to go for your first-time visit, info for families with children, and ways to connect at the church. There was also an audio CD attached to the brochure that had a few songs written by the Elevation worship team and a message from Pastor Steven. All this in the first 45 seconds of being on their property. An Incentive to Get Your Info We were also handed information cards and a pen and told that if we would fill those out and return them to a designated spot after the service, they would donate $1 to a local charity as thanks for sharing our information with them. That was pretty cool. Even though I was an out-of-towner, I loved the idea that I could chip in and help a local charity.

Warm Greetings All Around As we walked in, the VIP brochure I was holding was a dead giveaway to the volunteers, and each one of them greeted us enthusiastically. But I will add, it wasnt too much and didnt seem pushy. (I would note we were in the South; people are just friendlier there.) The volunteer that met us at our car literally walked with us into the auditorium and led us to an usher who directed us to our seat. Unreal. Great Welcome From the Front We all know how awkward those if anyone is new here, please raise your hand moments can be in church. At Elevation, they didnt put any pressure on you to acknowledge your newness, but rather warmly welcomed all of the VIPs of the day and reiterated how we could get connected and where to go after the service to get more information. I Got a Free T-shirt So after the service (which was great) was over, I went to the table we were directed to go to with our info cards. Some of the volunteers recognized me and asked what I thought of the service and wanted to know about my experience. I turned in my visitor card, and then they asked me if I wanted a T-shirt. Yes, an Elevation Church T-shirt. That may have been a little over-the-top for me, but it was still cool that for every first-time guest, theyd invest as much as they did. Now I can literally say I went there and got a T-shirt. As I was driving away, I was blown away by the experience. The service was great and the message was challenging, but it was the welcome I received that really made the entire experience. If I had been new to Charlotte and looking for a church home, theres no doubt that my reception and welcome at Elevation would have kept me coming back. But Wait Theres More A Real-Life Telephone Call On Monday night, I was back home in Chicago and got a phone call from a number I didnt recognize. By default, I dont answer calls from numbers I dont know. About a minute later, I got a voicemail notification. I listened, and it was a real-life person calling me from Elevation Church to thank me for being there the night before. He noticed I was visiting from out of town and wanted to let me know if I was just visiting that he hoped I had a great time, and if I was

relocating or coming back to Charlotte, that he hoped Id come back and visit again. He also offered that if I needed anything or needed prayer that I could call the church. WOW! In our automated age, the simple act of a personalized phone call is HUGE. I visited a church a while ago that routinely calls me every Thursday night with a prerecorded message from the pastor letting me know whats going on at the church that weekend. I dont know how to unsubscribe from that. But this personalized call was unreal. Long gone are the days of the pastor or elders going to visit first-time guests at their homes, but this is definitely a 21st century spin on that. A Helpful Email Then, the following morning, I got an email with the subject line, Thanks for joining us! But wait, theres more! The email was beautifully designed and included a video message from the campus pastor of the campus we visited and included links for information about their small groups and childrens ministry. There were also links to take a survey to get feedback from your experience and a link to spread the word and invite your friends. A Handwritten Postcard The day after that, no joke, I got a handwritten postcard in the mail, again, thanking me for visiting, inviting me back to visit, and letting me know that they were praying for me. More bonus points for the personalization. Thats huge. A Letter From the Pastor Then, seriously not joking, the day after that, I got an official welcome letter from Pastor Steven in the mail. It was more like a form letter, but after the mix of personalized touch points, it was totally fine that he didnt personally sit down and write me a letter. Hes kind of a big deal and a busy guy anyway. But again, it was just an incredible continued way of keeping me in the loop. Some Thoughts While it may not be feasible for every church to provide the rock star VIP treatment that Elevation does for their guests, I do believe that every church should take some notes from my experience there. I can tell you that Ive been in many other great churches in the last few years where my presence as a visitor was hardly acknowledged. Every time someone visits a church, they are taking a risk. Everyone has their reasons for NOT going to church, and people have reasons for making the

choice to go to a church. They are searching for something and a need to feel loved and embraced by the church. The church is a family, and we need to make people feel like they are coming home when they come to visit. Its been said that people will make up their minds about their experience at a church in the first five minutes of being there. If their experience from the parking lot to the sanctuary isnt positive, it doesnt even really matter what happens in the service. Youve got to go out of your way from the moment they arrive at the door to roll out the red carpet. I know this all could sound a bit consumeristic, but lets face it, we live in a consumeristic society, and people go church shopping with lists in hand of what they expect. Im not suggesting churches bend to meet what people are looking for, but that we meet them halfway and go out of our way to welcome them. People want to feel like they belong. People want to feel valued. People want to be acknowledged. People need to feel welcomed when they visit churches. Elevation Church has grown from a small group of 40 people to more than 16,000 in less than six years. Theres a lot at play and an obvious movement of Gods Spirit and favor, but I believe their commitment to welcome people like they have has helped them grow as much as they have. First impressions matter, and they made a great one. A Cool Side Note One of my co-workers was with me in Charlotte, and she went to dinner with some friends in the area. They had a great experience at the restaurant. The manager came around, and she told him about how she had always said she had wanted to find a church that welcomed people as warmly as the Apple Store does, but that now she would need to add that restaurant to the list. He said, Well, I think I have the church for you, then. Its called Elevation.

Find Out Why People Leave Your Church: 8 Tips for Exit Interviews
By Thom Schultz

This week I listened to people who left their churches and never went back. I didnt like their stories, for a couple of reasons. First, it was painful to hear of their wounds. Their reasons for leaving varied widely, from mistreatment to malfeasance to neglect. Then, it was agonizing to hear how none of them had been contacted by the churches they left. They felt ultimately disposable and forgotten. Unfortunately, their stories are all too common. Even for churches that report shining statistics of new members, theyre often losing equal numbers out the back door. Whats happening? Why are they leaving? Churches like to call in paid consultants to analyze their situations. Usually these hired guns interview the staff and survey the congregation. They typically uncover predictable things. But they may miss the glaring problems, which are best articulated by those who have left. So, before you call in the next consultant, take a hint from other organizations: talk to your past customers. See what good employers do; they conduct exit interviews. It seems so obvious. But, in the church world, this contact is rare. Why? Are we afraid of what well hear? Is it too awkward? Do we feel that contacting lost members will only pander to their complaining? Lets forget the excuses and consider how to reach out to the lost sheep. Youll learn how to improve your ministry, and youll show care for those who feel hurt. I was involved in a small team that did just that. We invited past members to sit down with us and talk about why they left our church. Without hesitation, they all agreed to meet. They talked openly, calmly and candidly. And they were so thankful that somebody finally noticed they had left and cared enough to inquire. What they told us was eye-opening and very helpful. Heres what we learned about contacting lost sheep: 1. Form a small team of level-headed volunteers to contact the lost sheep. Dont enlist pastors or other church staff for this work. First, the departed members wont be as blunt with paid leaders. Second, your staff may already feel pummeled themselves. The last thing they want to do is sit through another feared pummeling. So, select volunteers who are not currently serving in any

leadership capacity at the church. These should be good listeners who will not get defensive when hearing negative comments about their church. 2. Assemble a list of those who have gone missing. Contact these past members personally. Let them know theyre missed. Ask if theyd share why they left. Assure them your purpose is simply to listen, not to coerce them to return. You simply want to know how to improve. 3. Set up a time, about an hour, to meet personally on neutral ground, such as a restaurant or coffee shop. Do not attempt to collect information through written surveys or over the phone. Meet face to face. 4. When you meet, reiterate youre there to listen. Ask for their honesty and candor. Say something like, I know you havent been around for some time. We used to see you all the time. Id really like to hear about what might have led to your departure. It may help us avoid problems and hurt in the future. 5. Take notes. And inform your interviewees that youd like pass along helpful information to appropriate people who can make improvements for the future. 6. At the end of the interview, sincerely thank the interviewees. And extend a heartfelt apology that the church did not measure up to their expectations. This isnt admitting guilt. Its simply offering remorse and compassion for how they feel. 7. Then compile the results of the interviews. Look for any common threads. Prepare a report for church leaders who have the responsibility to make your ministry as strong and effective as it can be. Be sensitive about handling accounts of individuals who were named by interviewees. That information should be shared directly with the named individuals and/or their immediate supervisors. 8. Consider the results and take appropriate action to improve your ministry. Part of the being the Body of Christ means noticing and caring when a part goes missing.