The First 10 Seconds...Making a Great First Impression

Disney is excellent at making first impressions...especially in the first 10 seconds.

As you approach the front gates of the Magic Kingdom you are immersed in thousands of colorful flowers. 

The smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies floats your way. 

In the background, Disney songs are playing. 

Here's something that Disney understands that we need to take a cue from.

Your interaction with guests in their first 10 seconds forms the perception they will carry with them into your church. 

The first 10 seconds in your church may seem like a small thing but that tiny amount of time makes a lasting impression. 

Keep this in mind as well.  The first impression truly is a lasting impression...especially the first 10 seconds that guests come in contact with your ministry. 

Think through these questions...

What do you want guests to see in the first 10 seconds?

What do you want guests to be immersed in the first 10 seconds?

What do you want guests to experience in the first 10 seconds?

What do you want guests to hear in the first 10 seconds?  

Your answers to these questions will determine if guests return or not.

Here are some examples...

Sight. Make sure your greeters are happy people who naturally smile.  Have bright, fun colors in your decor.

Sounds. Have happy, fun music playing in the hallways. Music is a powerful force. I recently added music in our nursery and preschool hallway for this very reason.

Smell. Guests' sense of smell should be met with a clean, pleasant smell.  

Make a great impression in the first 10 seconds and you will see guests return for a second visit.

You can get more ideas for making a great first impression in my book "Be Our Church Guest." 

It is available at this link.  

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Bringing Children Into the Equivalent of a College Lecture at Church...Stop It Already?

Should children be brought into the "adult" worship service?  Should children have their own age appropriate worship service / class?  

Some would compare bringing a child into the adult worship service to bringing a child into a college lecture.  We agree that when it comes to education, children should be in an age appropriate class or experience. 6-year-olds go to a first grade class at school. 9-year-olds go to a 4th grade class at school.  They don't go to college at that point in their life because it is not age-appropriate and the child would get little to no benefit from the teaching. 

Here are some thoughts on this that I found online.

"I remember being in service as a kid. I remember absolutely nothing. Communion was cool because I got to eat Hawaiian bread or sourdough."

"Children can't handle a 30-45 minute sermon. But obviously a 30-45 minute sermon is the essential centerpiece of corporate worship."

"While we're at it let's skip kindergarten and start their education in college."

"Our last church, the pastor was adamant kids of all ages needed to be in church, then made services two hours long, right at lunch time (an hour plus of that was his sermon). My kids hated church. When it was time to get ready for church there were crying meltdowns. Not how I want my kids to feel about church. We moved, joined a better church, and now send our kids to children’s church during the sermon. They’re much happier, and we can listen to the sermon instead of trying to make them behave."

"I just don't get some of your reasoning. I respect your opinions, but it just seems disconnected from reality to me. Would you send your kids to a college lecture? No, because they wouldn't get hardly anything from it. They wouldn't understand 99% of it. That's why they work their way up. The same goes for church, IMO. Is having them in the main service distracting others when they are hardly going to take anything from it really worth it when they could be in Sunday school learning things at their own capacity? It's not worth it in my opinion. I understand doing it sometimes, but it just seems unrealistic to expect your kids to be in the main service every time. I think it's a lot more beneficial for them to be in a class that is geared towards them."

"As a parent of multiple children under the age of 10. My 3-year-old absolutely cannot sit through an entire sermon. There are some services throughout the year we attend as a family, especially Christmas. However, it is very difficult to focus, take notes, etc. on the service during those times. I do think there is validity to having your kids in service and worshiping as a family over the age of 12 or 13 or so. However, if you are talking about real topics in church (pornography, sex trafficking, etc.) these are topics I do not think I should be explaining to a curious 6-year-old."

"Young children simply do not learn the same ways that adults or older children do. There are children that can sit quietly and obediently during a service and retain absolutely nothing, just like many checked out, dissociating adults. There's something to be said for modelling, but this issue should really be decided at the level of local churches, where the context of the congregation is relevant to how involved kids could and should be on the general service."

I would have to say that I agree with much of this.

 

Over the years, I have met many people who say they will not step foot inside a church because they were made to go as a child.  

 

Newsflash...you don't have to make someone go where they enjoy being. The reason they were made to go was because they were bored. They were made to sit still and be quiet while they were lectured at a college level or higher. I've never met anyone who says they are not going to Disney World because they were made to go as a child. See the difference?

 

Don't get me wrong. I do respect the flip side of this philosophy. Parents are to be the primary spiritual influence in their child's life.  Sitting with their children and modeling what it means to worship and listen does have it's benefits. 

 

But when it comes to parents modeling the faith...I believe this should primarily be done at home during the week. 

 

I believe if you measure the benefits both ways...children having their own age appropriate worship service / class is more beneficial. 

 

Here is how I manage this tension in the church where I am the children's pastor. Kids' worship is for kids up to 4th grade. After that, kids attend worship with their parents. 

 

Your turn. What is your ministry philosophy about this?  Do you have kids in the adult service? Do you have separate worship services / classes for kids? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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A Simple Way to Teach Kids How to Pray

For the past several months God has been impressing on me to teach the kids in my ministry about prayer. 

Each week, we have been taking time to get on our knees during class/service and spend time talking with Jesus. 

It has been amazing watching the kids settle down, get on their knees, and begin praying. 

I wanted to give them a simple plan they can use to spend time with Jesus. 

Last night, I introduced them to this simple prayer plan. 

Forgiveness.

Have the kids start their prayer time by asking God to forgive them for any sins they have committed. You can have them hold up 4 fingers to remember this. 4-giveness.  Help them understand, that as followers of Jesus, it is important that we confess our sins to Him. Share this promise with them found in 1 John 1:9.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Praise and Thanksgiving.

"I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth."  Psalm 34:1

Have the kids raise their hands and spend time thanking Jesus for who He is and what He does. Thank Him for being just, kind, loving, full of grace, and mercy.  Thank Him for His blessings in your life. 

Prayers for others. 

"...Pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."  James 5:16

Have kids point out to others and then begin praying for the needs of others. I get a list of people who are sick or in the hospital from our church and we pray specifically for them.

I also show the kids pictures of kids in other countries who do not know Jesus and we pray for them to be able to hear the Gospel. 

Pray for your needs. 

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

Have the kids point in toward themselves. Then give them time to pray for their own needs. 

Prayer steps for kids / recap:

Confess your sins. 

Praise and Thank God for who He is and what He does.

Ask God to meet the needs of others.

Ask God to meet your needs and requests. 

This simple plan can turn children into prayer warriors.  Children who spend time with Jesus on a regular basis are far less likely to walk away from church and the faith. 

Are you leading kids in prayer? Are you teaching kids to pray?  Are you helping kids develop a passion for walking with Jesus?  

A praying child will follow Jesus. 

A praying child will develop a heart that is passionate about spending time with Jesus. 

A praying child will see God do great and mighty things in their life. 

Yes...kids can be noisy and loud in class/service. But you will be amazed at what happens when you have them pause and get on their knees to talk with God and listen to the Holy Spirit.  It can be transformative. Make time for it in your class time and watch what God does in their lives. 

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Easter...How to Get Families to Come Back the Next Week

Easter is almost here. In most churches, it is a high attendance day. Families that only come once or twice a month all show up at the same time. This increases your attendance. You may also have several guest families that day who come to check out your church on Easter. 

So here is the big question. How do you get them to return the next week? How do you get families who only attend occasionally to come more consistently? How do you get first-time guests to return?  

Let's talk about this. Here are some tips that can help you see more families come back after Easter. 

Be friendly, but not pushy.

One of the biggest factors in a family deciding to return is based on the friendliness factor.  This doesn't just stop at the entrance door but must permeate your church's culture. The front door is not the true measure of your friendliness.  It is based on the guest's overall experience with the people they come in contact with.  Be friendly...but not pushy. You know how you feel when you walk into a store and you are accosted by a salesperson who is working on commission.

The key is balanced friendliness.  

Make a great first impression with families.

The first impression truly is a lasting impression. If a family has a bad experience, they are not going to return. You can call them, send them a letter, text them and go the second mile to invite them back, but they are not going to return.  

Keep this in mind. Put your time, energy, and effort into giving guests a great first experience. People will remember how you made them feel on their first visit and they will or will not return based on this. 

Get tons of tips and practical steps you can take in my book "Be Our Church Guest." It is available at this link.

Make sure the kids have a great experience. 

Parents can have a great experience, but if the kids did not...they are not going to return. Another critical factor in seeing guests return is their kids liking it. 

A church that wants to grow and see people come back and become regular attenders, will invest heavily in children's ministry. I can't emphasize this enough.

Make a personal connection with them on their first visit.

Someone has to connect with them on a personal level. Whether that is you or a key volunteer, it must happen. Go beyond just "hello" and show a balanced interest in their family. 

Make sure you get their information.

It's hard to follow up without information. Normally you are able to get information about the family when they check their kids in.

Send the kids a personal, handwritten postcard. 

Kids rarely get mail and it's a big deal when they do. Send them a handwritten postcard with a personal note that is unique to their family. This will show them that they are important to your church and you are taking a personal interest in them.

Offer them an incentive to come back. 

Did you know that the average return rate for guests in most churches is about 7%? Yes...it's that low. But there is something you can do to change that. Start offering guests a personal gift when they return for a second visit. 

At one of the churches where I served, we started giving guests a t-shirt on their second visit. Yes...it was a financial investment, but we saw our guest return rate go from 7% to 38%. 

On the post card you send the kids, mention that they will get a free t-shirt (or other gift) on their second visit. Try it and I guarantee you that your return rate will go up.  Plus the kids will often wear their t-shirt to school and in their neighborhood. This is good advertising for your ministry.

Text the parents and thank them for coming.

Did you know that 98% of text messages get read? Can't beat that for effective follow-up communication.  

Have an after party.

Set up an after party for first-time guest families. Let families know about this when they are checking in. Have some snacks and drinks for them. Have a few key staff members and volunteers in the room. This will give you an opportunity to spend a few minutes with the guests. This is another huge way you can connect with families. 

Your turn. In the comment section below, share some tips and ideas you have for seeing guests return.

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