Finding (and Repairing) Drop-Off Points In Your Outreach System
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already noticed that some of your guests have been slipping through the cracks. Whether your system is heavily reliant on people or automation, even the tightest of operations can spring a leak without consistent evaluation and maintenance. When guests fall through the cracks, they’re not just missing a message or email; they’re missing out on an opportunity to find community, grow spiritually, and encounter Jesus through your ministry.
This is why it’s important to bridge the gaps where you can. When you’re focused on community development as a church, crafting and maintaining your guest journey becomes one of your highest priorities. Gaining an understanding of the experience from the guest’s perspective can serve as a roadmap for identifying and addressing drop-off points in your outreach system. Let’s walk through the guest journey phase-by-phase to identify where drop-offs happen (and what we can do to avoid them):
The “First Impressions” Phase
This is the “what’s this all about?” phase. Maybe something about your church community and presentation made your guests decide they wanted to learn more. Maybe they just filled out a connect card to get whatever free stuff you’re offering. Either way, their contact is now in your system. For them to move on to the next phase, they need to develop a genuine interest in who you are and/or what you do. Your first contact sets the tone. Get it right, you build their trust; get it wrong, and you could lose their interest entirely. These are key points to follow for your first contact with a guest:
- Strike while the iron is hot! Try to initiate first contact within 24 hours (templates and automation help here).
- Shoot for 100% compliance at all times, whether you collect contact info physically or digitally.
- When using digital platforms, ensure all guest forms are funneled correctly.
- Even automated workflows need human moderation! Check these periodically.
- Your first message to your guest should express gratitude, use a warm tone, and provide a clear next step for them to take.
- (BONUS) Within the first week, have a member of your team reach out via text or phone call to add a human touch to your system. This is especially important if the guest has made a new commitment to follow Jesus.
First impressions are relational, not just visual. Your timing and tone will determine whether or not a guest continues on the journey. Once you’ve established this, the following messages should excite them to come back next Sunday, as well as invite them to be a part of your core activities and gatherings (small groups, community events, classes, and trainings, etc.).
The “Turning Curiosity into Connection” Phase
This is the “what’s in it for me?” phase. Believe it or not, it isn’t selfish for a guest to wonder what a church offers them. Our job as church leaders is to be ready with a clear answer. After driving awareness towards the value your church offers, your invitation becomes increasingly important in your guest’s journey. Don’t just deliver information; give them something to consider.
A message reading “Join a small group today” with a sign-up link is not an effective invitation. Use strong hooks in your messaging. Create curiosity and command attention. Inspire your guests to take action on what you’re inviting them to. Tailoring these messages to create genuine interest will require refinement and improvement over time. However, considering this is the most common gap in church guest outreach systems, attention to detail here can pay off in dividends.
The “Building Roots that Last” Phase
This is the “I think I’ve found my home” phase. Though this doesn’t mean your job is complete, consider this the reward for a job well done! At this point, your guests are actively engaging with you and are well on their way to becoming an official member of your church community. Your job now is to keep them engaged so they can be part of what helps the next guest make the same decision. This means periodically evaluating your guest follow-up system.
What worked last year (or even last month) may not work today for a multitude of reasons. Trends change. The way we communicate changes. We have the capacity to change throughout our different life stages and circumstances. How we adapt to those changes is important; it’s how we remain relevant in an ever-changing world. Only one thing is constant: we all need Jesus. Our job is figuring out how to best represent Him, and making every effort to include others in our faith journey is exactly what He has commanded us to do (Matthew 28:19-20).
Want help shifting your guest follow-up from a loose process to a reliable system? Visit getignitd.com and hit the Let’s Talk button on the homepage!