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What do you do if few or no guests are attending your church or group?

The key to getting guests to visit your church or group is not a secret. An overwhelming majority of those who visit the first time are there because they were invited by a friend or a relative. The last stat I saw on this was around 87% with the second most common reason for a visit applying to only 6% of your guests. If you are not having guests the reason is clear; your members are not inviting people. What is the issue here? Leadership? Your church culture? Anemic ministry or services? Lack of challenge? If you are having not guests you certainly need to analyze. Here are a few short term and long term solutions.

Short Term:

1. Look in the mirror.  This one is tough. You must evaluate your leadership and role in this problem. Don’t give up. Grow and develop your skills.
2. See the fields. Have you ever seen any demographic information on your city or county. It is eye-opening when you see the number of un-churched around you. You will find that anywhere from 70-90% (in North America) are not in church in your community on a given Sunday. Many, if not most, of those have no relationship with Jesus. Get this information and share it with your members.
3. Apply the Law of Large Numbers. It is a simple principle. If you invite two people, one of them might respond. If you invite 100 people, you will have guests. Find a way to challenge your members and measure how many guests are being invited.
4. Open the side doors. Some members of your community who will not attend worship will attend a fellowship. Your ministry should offer several throughout the year to introduce community members to your congregation. They are more inclined to attend when relationships are initiated and established with your members.

Long Term:

1. Train members in evangelism. That is what the most effective churches and groups do. They do not train 52 weeks out of the year but they do not let 52 weeks go by without providing training. Train everyone through your teaching, preaching, and leadership. If not, you will continue to struggle getting your members to invite guests. The training begins with equipping members to be good inviters to not only your worship, but to fellowship opportunities.
2. Work on the total environment. Lead some of your members on a “Nehemiah Walk.” Examine your facilities, meeting space, signage, greeting procedures, follow up plan. Are your facilities inviting? You know it can be improved. Get to it!

This is a blog, not a book so these solutions are not exhaustive but hopefully something will click that will help you provide leadership that results in more guests because after all, the ultimate goal is that guests would ultimately become disciples or grow as disciples and in turn help us in making more disciples in the future.

I shared in my previous post how to respond if few or no guests are attending your church or group. I wanted to follow up by sharing how effective churches follow up on first time guests. You will find that the churches that do well have a system.  Now that system can vary from church to church in the details but the systems share these four traits in common:

1. The church has a “system.” When a guest visits for the first time a process is triggered that automatically assures that several things will happen within the next week. It begins with seeking to register as many guests as possible by any means possible to harvest contact information.
2. The church will provide a “quick touch” of some kind within 24 hours. The touch could be a call, email, text, or social media contact, but you can be assured the visit of the guest will be acknowledged quickly and without fail.
3. Someone from the church will provide a “personal touch” during the following week. This interaction will be warm, encouraging, and person to person. It may or may not be in person but it will be personal. The strongest “personal touch” is to find a way to share a meal or coffee and dessert. A phone call is better than no touch but the more personal, the better.
4. The church will make “multiple touches” over the coming weeks.  This will better insure that a ministry touch is made. Emails can be missed. Texts can be overlooked. Visits can be made to find no one at home. Calls can go to voice mail. Social media posts may not be viewed. Multiple touches increase the likelihood that a connection will be made.

The touches found in the churches systems do not represent the end of the process, but rather the beginning. The key is to move the guests toward relationships with members. The touches can get a guest to return but they will only assimilate if relationships are developed. However, the first touches are an important link in the chain. What is your church doing that is “automatic” once a guest visits?

I like to drive. Whenever my family gets in the car I automatically go to the driver’s seat. We do not discuss it…that is just the way it happens. I remember when my oldest daughter turned fifteen. You know what happened. She wanted to get a learners permit. I had actually let her drive in the church parking lot on several occasions ever since she was about thirteen. Once she turned fifteen we got out on the road but I was still there to guide her and when needed to tell her what to do or where to turn. Then she turned sixteen. She passed her drivers exam and I gave her the keys. Now that was a scary moment. At that point she began making many of the decisions for herself. What if I had refused to equip her or to turn over the keys? You should know that she is thirty years of age now. However, when she was sixteen it was not only unsettling to let her drive but it was also risky. What if she were to have a wreck? What if she gets hurt? What if she hurts someone else? What if she breaks a law? What if she damages the car? Do I take the risk or do I hold her back? If I hold her back, how will she get around when she turns thirty?

I reluctantly turned the keys over and I am glad that I did. I’ll admit, she damaged the car, got a couple of speeding tickets, went some places I would prefer she not have gone, and caused me some grief and worry. But, it all turned out alright. She now drives to work, gets where she needs to go without me having to pick her up and take her everywhere, and actually drives to visit with me. I like that! The reality is that it would not have been healthy for me to withhold from her the opportunity to learn to drive, to actually drive, and then to allow her to be somewhat independent of me in her decision making. She still comes to me for counsel but since I released her to drive on her own, she is getting along just fine.

This whole story is true and it is also a metaphor for my senior adult friends. I am fast approaching your life stage and I really appreciate all you have done for the church and value what you are doing now. But, I have a question. How are you doing at turning over the keys? Are you still the one doing the driving in your church? Or have you invested in some younger leaders and given them the keys? If you do, it is risky. They will make decisions that are different than you may have and they will make some mistakes that would not have been made if you were driving. It can be really aggravating when they turn the radio to music on a station that you do not like. But, how can they learn to drive unless you allow them to…drive. Your influence is still crucial and your opinion is still valuable. I do know of some churches where the older leaders have refused to turn over the keys or to allow some of the younger members to drive. Interestingly, there are now no young people to give the keys to in some of these churches. They have all left to go to a church where they are allowed to drive. Who wants to sit in an infant’s car seat when they are old enough to drive themselves? Turning over the keys does not mean that your work is done or that your value is less. It reflects that you truly grasp what it has meant to “make disciples.” They still need you…but the next generation also has the need to lead. How are you doing at turning over the keys?

A leader possesses a natural desire to thrive. An effective leader wants to thrive while helping those around him or her to thrive also. The best leaders do not focus exclusively on their own success. To do so would be narcissistic which is counter intuitive to effective leadership. In a multi-layered organization where multiple staff members serve, multiple departments or ministries conduct work, and workers perform a variety of different functions, the tendency is to focus on the task of the department without regard to the needs of the other teams. This tendency is known as “silo-ing.” It is not always intentional but it is always detrimental to the mission of the organization.

A leader or team member in a department or ministry should stand up for their team. It is healthy to have passion for the task assigned, to have expertise, to defend the team members, and to carry the banner for his or her area of assignment. However, each team member should recognize that they play a role on a larger team. Failure to do so can lead to unhealthy competition within the organization and lack of cooperation in accomplishing the ultimate mission. Here are three ways that leaders and team members contribute to the silo effect and note that all are avoidable and correctable:

1. Operating as if me or my team is exempt from standards, procedures, rules, policies, or expectations communicated by organizational leaders.
2. Planning activities, events, meetings, and/or developing strategies without regard to what any other team in the organization is doing.
3. Operating as if what my team does is superior to what other teams are assigned to do.

This can happen in a business. It can happen in a religious organization. It can happen in a church. As a matter of fact, Paul tackled this very issue in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Seek to thrive in your assignment but do so in a way that helps others to thrive also. Doing your part to minimize the silo effect is one key to making it happen.

I hope you read the previous blog: Signs that alert you that your church is in trouble.  The article points out five signs that are often ignored which signal that the congregation is on the road to demise and often death. That is always tragic and no believer wants to see a congregation have to close the doors.  What do you do if it is your church?

1. Don’t ignore the signs. My sister and I would play hide and seek when I was a small boy. I would run to an adjoining room, stand against the wall, and cover my eyes. She would find me within seconds and say “I see you there.”  I would reply, “No you can’t, I have my eyes closed!”  Closing your eyes and ignoring the signs will not make them go away and will not bring your church back to health.
2. Resist the impulse to blame.  It is our pastor’s fault.  We have deacons who won’t lead. Our members are apathetic. That may or may not be true. But calling people out will likely create anger, further frustration, and perhaps division. That is not to suggest that tough conversations will not need to take place at some point.  But do not begin by assessing blame. Begin by evaluating yourself. What are you personally doing or failing to do that is contributing to the demise.  Begin by looking at your role.
3. Pray. No, I mean really pray.  Describe the prayer ministry of your church. Offertory prayers, benedictions, and praying for Aunt Thelma’s forthcoming surgery are all commendable.  But, have you been on your face and on your knees, not once, not twice, but frequently alone and with others asking God to show up in your congregation.
4. Talk about the vision for the church. If you are not sure where you are going, how will you know if you ever get there? What do you want your church to be like five years and ten years from now? Are you doing the things that put you on the path that will take you there?
5. Bring in a specialist.  You need someone to take an objective look at your congregation.  Sometimes you cannot see the flaws when you live in a situation day in and day out.  Fresh eyes can assist in bringing clarity to the issues and someone with Godly wisdom and experience can help you see the path forward more clearly.  A person with a heart problem will do well to consult with a heart specialist. Consider bringing a church health specialist to assist with evaluating and strategizing the best way forward.

“Slump? I ain’t in no slump… I just ain’t hitting.”   – Yogi Berra

Church life is absolutely a joy when everyone seems to be happy, the worship is spirited, people are coming to faith in Christ, and no threatening divisive issues are on the radar. Maintaining momentum over a long period of time is very difficult. I did a study once of churches in my state denomination to determine how many had experienced 2% or greater growth for the previous ten consecutive years without fail. Only six churches were able to do that or to see it another way; .0016%. That is a good reminder that even the best of churches are prone to go through occasional slumps. A church that is going through a slump is not dying, is not experiencing some contentious division, and is not going through dramatic erosion. The slumping church is doing okay but they have lost momentum and may not be progressing like they were in the previous months and years. What do you do when your church is in a slump?

1. Take the seasons into consideration. Most North American churches experience cycles that affect attendance throughout the calendar year. Churches ordinarily see a mild surge in attendance at the end of summer when school gets back in session and the vacation season comes to a conclusion. In addition, most churches re-launch their small group Bible Studies with new leaders, new groups, and promotion of school age children. Once November arrives the holiday weekend will pull down average attendance and December will bring at least two more weekends when many families travel. With the exception of extreme weather in warmer climate areas the attendance will rebound in January, February, and into March. April brings spring breaks followed by May with a holiday weekend and graduations resulting in decreased average attendance. Then summer comes and many families take advantage of warmer weather and the children being out of school to take much needed vacations. When school returns the attendance tends to rebound again. Seasonal slumps are common in every church as these up and down cycles occur each year.
2. Look beyond attendance. Church leaders should certainly take note of erosion. This occurs when attendance declines and continues to slide even when the seasons would suggest that participation in worship should rebound. Assuming that many months of decline are not the issue, look beyond attendance to other critical issues. Although this is second on the list it is actually most important. How is the prayer ministry going? Are members being equipped and challenged in personal evangelism? Is the Bible study and are the sermons fresh and challenging? Are the members reaching into the community to serve and minister? Be sure you are not neglecting these best practices that keep your congregation healthy and the momentum building.
3. Focus on what you can control. This point is made with acknowledgement that God is the source of momentum and forward progress. I am sure that you are well aware, however, that sin can get in the way. You have no control over whether more people will attend your church this Sunday. But you do have control over whether you have a repentant heart or not. You do decide whether you will spend time in God’s word each day. You make the decision of whether to minister, to participate in equipping opportunities, or whether to invite guests to participate in worship and church activities. You may not have control of the temperature but you can adjust your thermostat. Ordinarily, when you do, the temperature changes accordingly. Some actions on your part are equivalent to changing the thermostat.

A slump is temporary. Pray through it and know that God can teach you when you are in the valley. If the slump continues you have moved to erosion and that is a totally different challenge. Slumps are not enjoyable but neither are they abnormal. Attend to your personal spiritual growth when things are great, when times are tough, and even in the midst of a slump.

Does the name Babe Ruth ring a bell? The avid sports fan certainly knows who that is. Even the less acquainted are likely aware that he held the Major League Baseball record for homeruns for almost forty years before being surpassed by Hank Aaron. During the three years prior to Ruth’s dramatic hitting career, a young pitcher on the same team recorded a 2.28 earned run average as a starter and had a winning percentage of .671. Do you happen to know who that was?  Yes, you sports geeks know exactly who I am talking about. The young pitcher was none other than Babe Ruth. Ruth was on his way to perhaps becoming a Hall of Fame pitcher with stats like those.

However, he did not continue to serve the team as a starting pitcher. The coach determined that he would be more valuable playing every day, going to the plate four to six times per game, to drive in runs and give the offense a punch. He did not know that he would set the record for home runs when the change was made. What if he had balked at the decision? (I could not resist the pun.) You may have never heard of him. Who knows how the rest of his career may have gone as a pitcher. He may have excelled or he may have flopped. We will never know. What if he said, “I don’t want to play every day. I like pitching every fourth game.” What if he liked the spotlight of being before the crowd for every pitch instead of only five or six plate appearances?

What about you and your role? Do you like your position in the organization? You should at least have some affection for it and there is no harm in aspiring to greater things. However, a leader should never have the attitude of “I don’t know what I would do if I could not do this job (hold this position).” A growing leader is capable of holding several different positions with a degree of effectiveness and will excel where he or she is placed in the existing organization or in another organization for that matter. For one to possess the attitude that they cannot thrive in any other positon or any other place than where they are is not flattering. Hyper-specialization should not be confused with limited skill sets and lack of personal development. You serve your organization to help accomplish the mission. The mission must be superior in priority to your position. Otherwise, unhealthy internal competition, diminishing competence, and the undermining of your own credibility will result. You will best help those you serve now and in the future by placing more emphasis on the mission and less emphasis on your position. It is commitment to the mission that will get your organization to where it needs to be no matter what your position may be. The mission must take precedence over your position!