# How your church welcomes visiting nonbelievers



## MichaelGao (Feb 3, 2011)

I am interested in how much time and interest your church invests in nonbelievers when they first come visit. (Note just unbelieving visitors, not believing ones)

Are there regular follow up procedures? For example, calling up these visitors, or visiting them...etc. If so? Who is responsible for doing that? 
Are they immediately invited and taken to small groups (if you have that)? Or will they attend "seekers" groups (for unbelievers).


----------



## Notthemama1984 (Feb 3, 2011)




----------



## Scottish Lass (Feb 3, 2011)

How would we know/be able to discern that unless they come with a member or reveal that by choice? Either way, generally all our visitors are offered hospitality and get follow-up contact if they provide the info for it.


----------



## Andres (Feb 4, 2011)

Scottish Lass said:


> How would we know/be able to discern that unless they come with a member or reveal that by choice? Either way, generally all our visitors are offered hospitality and get follow-up contact if they provide the info for it.



you read my mind Mrs. Phillips! That was also my first thought that our church never knows what a visitor believes. We take the visitors contact info and then do follow up with them that week. This follow up is generally in the form of a letter written by our pastor, but we will also call and/or email visitors to just depending on the situation.


----------



## FenderPriest (Feb 4, 2011)

We ask people to raise their hands during the announcements where we welcome them with applause and try to connect with them if they're sitting near us. We give them a little info packet about us with an info card to fill out if they'd like. We tell them that they don't need to participate in the offering, just to drop that card in the basket as it's passed, and we invite them to a guest thingy after the service where they can interact with a pastor, hear about the church, and ask any questions that they'd like.

We also have a 10 week introductory course to Christianity that we hold on Wednesday nights that we invite them to called "Bridge". We'll invite them to that and we've had a lot of success with it with three courses a year usually having around 150 to 200 attendees and several from that becoming Christians and joining the church.

All in all, it's a small time factor of our services that helps people feel welcomed and helps us connect with them since in a larger church it's easy to not recognize visitors since you probably don't recognize some of the congregation.


----------



## Ivan (Feb 4, 2011)

Applause?


----------



## FenderPriest (Feb 4, 2011)

Yea, you know, like "Hey welcome to our church." Not in the "We're celebrating you!" way.


----------



## discipulo (Feb 4, 2011)

In our Church in Holland we have a guest team, my wife has been also part of it for a couple of years, basically every Morning and Evening service there

will be like 5-7 members of the Church welcoming everyone entering (also the Church members) giving a prospect including the Liturgical Order of the Services on that Sunday, infomations about the Church,

Prayer motives, etc. When noticing someone new the members of the Team will try to know if he or shen is a believer or not, already a member of another church or not, making them feel welcome, making 

themselves available to answer any question or giving any explanation. At the end of the service the members of the guest team will be once more seeing if people would like to have some further contact,

a prayer request, a time of prayer or and counselling. 

Altough Dutch people tend to consider religion a very private matter, this is done without any pressure and I believe it has worked very well to allow non believing visitors to feel welcome and to

find an opportunity to ask more about the Church and what are our beliefs. Normally the Elder who announces the Service mentions that at the end there will be members available to answer questions,

receive prayer requests or direct someone wishing to have some more counselling or prayer in a pastoral office.


----------



## Tripel (Feb 4, 2011)

FenderPriest said:


> We ask people to raise their hands during the announcements where we welcome them with applause and try to connect with them if they're sitting near us.



I hope this doesn't come across as critical or mean-spirited, but I would _really_ dislike being in that situation. The last thing I want to happen when I visit a new place is to be publicly recognized. But maybe your church doesn't have many introverted visitors.


----------



## seajayrice (Feb 4, 2011)

Station an unbeliever scout in the parking lot, greet them and escort them to the front seats so they can't leave until we get their confession.


----------



## FenderPriest (Feb 4, 2011)

Tripel said:


> FenderPriest said:
> 
> 
> > We ask people to raise their hands during the announcements where we welcome them with applause and try to connect with them if they're sitting near us.
> ...



No, I don't think it's very critical since I've thought the same thing. The written version of what happens seems more... formal? than how it really is. It's not presented in a singling-you-out sort of way, but a welcoming, inviting way. Anyhow, you only have to do it once and folks are eager to welcome you more face-to-face after the service if you didn't come in with someone. And, any hand-raise will do - not like a full out upward-swimmer's meet is necessary, just something so the ushers know to get a packet to you. Anyhow, I don't think your thoughts are mean-spirited at all since I've thought the same. I was simply sharing what we do since that was the original question - my own thoughts and opinions aside, though I'm _usually_ in full agreement with our church practices.


----------



## Ivan (Feb 4, 2011)

Tripel said:


> FenderPriest said:
> 
> 
> > We ask people to raise their hands during the announcements where we welcome them with applause and try to connect with them if they're sitting near us.
> ...


 
Frankly, I'd never come back again.


----------



## Tripel (Feb 4, 2011)

FenderPriest said:


> The written version of what happens seems more... formal? than how it really is.



I can understand that. Still doesn't sound like something I'd love, but hey, it's not all about me Thanks for the clarification.


----------



## Berean (Feb 4, 2011)

FenderPriest said:


> We ask people to raise their hands during the announcements where we welcome them with applause and try to connect with them if they're sitting near us.



As a visitor, I would definitely not appreciate being singled out in front of a large group of strangers and having the spotlight put on me. Like Pastor Ivan, I'd never return.


----------



## TexanRose (Feb 4, 2011)

I'm another who would cringe at having to stand or raise my hand as a new visitor.

In several churches I've visited, I've filled out a little visitor form with name and address, and dropped it into the collection basket. Usually I've gotten a letter in the mail thanking me for my visit, and telling me a little more about the church. One time, however, I got a knock on my door later that week. I opened it to find three people from that church! I was quite alarmed given that I was not expecting anyone that evening, so I was wearing my "comfy pants." LOL Anyway, they came in and stayed for about 15 minutes; they asked me if I was a Christian and then asked a few follow-up questions to see if we were on the same page as to what that meant (we were). They ran through a brief presentation of the gospel, and left me with their information in case I should have any questions.

I didn't go back to the church though, because the pastor brought politics into his sermon, which rubbed me the wrong way. 

I don't know how you would treat non-believers differently given that you won't know that they are non-believers until you get to know them.


----------



## yoyoceramic (Feb 4, 2011)

I went to a church who had free books for visitors. In announcements they pointed out the book tables. Sort of a good idea from the standpoint of being able to observe who self-selects and walks up to the table. It looked like there were follow up cards at the table too.


----------



## Edward (Feb 4, 2011)

Scottish Lass said:


> How would we know/be able to discern that unless they come with a member or reveal that by choice? Either way, generally all our visitors are offered hospitality and get follow-up contact if they provide the info for it.



Glad I read down the thread. That was my first reaction, as well.

---------- Post added at 12:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 PM ----------




Tripel said:


> > Originally Posted by FenderPriest View Post
> > We ask people to raise their hands during the announcements where we welcome them with applause and try to connect with them if they're sitting near us.
> 
> 
> I hope this doesn't come across as critical or mean-spirited, but I would really dislike being in that situation. The last thing I want to happen when I visit a new place is to be publicly recognized. But maybe your church doesn't have many introverted visitors.



I'm less concerned as to how my response would come across. Do that to me once, and I'm not likely to come back.


----------



## goodnews (Feb 4, 2011)

One advantage of being a pastor of a small church is that we know it when a first-time visitor walks through the door. God has blessed us with (especially the last few years) a "family-type" of atmosphere at the church where I've trained my folks to take the time to greet visitors. We have 4 volunteer families who take turns greeting people at the door where visitors are given a welcome folder and asked to fill out the phone number/address card if they wish. If the visitor makes it to the service early enough (before the announcements, prelude, call to worship) then usually one or two folks will walk over and shake hands with the visitors (I've stressed this), but not in an overbearing way. After the service I welcome them at the back door and express my appreciation fo their visit and hope that they felt welcome and were able to worship. If they leave the visitors card then we send them a card in the mail and I'll usually call later that week. During that call I try to keep it short and sweet unless they seem to want to talk some and/or have questions (which is usually the case). In that conversation I usually express my interest in visiting them at their home, but always stress that there is no hurry with that (spmetimes it takes a week, sometimes months). My latest "first-time" visitors have visited 4 of the last 5 weeks, and I have yet to visit them. They know I'm not in a hurry and have told me they don't want me to visit until they're pretty sure they want to join.


----------



## MichaelGao (Feb 6, 2011)

Our church has a visitor card that has tick boxes asking whether they are believers or not. So that's how we do the discerning.
Its funny because in our church, we dont just get them to raise their hands, we get them to stand and go up to the front as we welcome them and pray for them. And people had no trouble coming back and staying.
Maybe in our chinese culture, guests like be to noticed more.

But Im wondering if you would have these unbelieving christians enter into small group fellowships doing bible studies and stuff. Because thats what our church does and it prevents groups going into much depth when there are new people in the groups (which there always are).

Would you divide people into groups based on how developed they are in the faith?

Or do you not have small groups in your churches.


----------



## Scott1 (Feb 6, 2011)

It is important to be hospitable, to greet, invite and encourage new people- whether they are believers or unbelievers.

As has been pointed out, many times one will not even have a basis for knowing that (because the people are new).

Deacons, I think have some role in this, at least encouraging in, leading in, welcoming and encouraging people to "get involved" and be generous with God's people, with their the talents God has given them.

Rather than asking people to assess themselves as "believers" or "unbelievers," it would seem more appropriate for every member to develop a "grace of liberality" that encourages the people to avail themselves of the ordinary means of grace through corporate worship, and the fellowship that is incidental with it.

I also think it is helpful to have a mechanism, such as a class or series of classes that equip new people for church life. That involves a presentation of the gospel, doctrine, Christian disciplines of prayer, tithing, the priority of Lord's Day worship, etc. Also that act as conduits for service into the various ministry groups in the church, including fellowship groups.

If that is done, believers, people with weak doctrine, wrong doctrine, unbelievers, visitors, will tend to be systematically enfolded in as regular attenders, and members of the covenant community.


----------

