How To Attract New Guests to Your Church
It’s important to focus on the care and growth of the current members of a church. However, if no one new ever attends, the current members may become concerned at the lack of growth. Even worse, the church may eventually no longer exist as members move away or go to other places. Let’s discuss how to attract new guests to your church to ensure it bursts at the seams while serving the community.
Create a User-Friendly Website
A website is like an online billboard for any business or organization. People expect to find you online. A user-friendly website gives members and new guests at the church a place to land and read about all things pertaining to the church.
Search engines are the number one place we all go to find information in every form. Create a church website and keep it fully optimized to ensure it is effective and shows up in searches.
Community Events
To attract new guests to your church, the church needs to be involved in the community. Make your presence known with community events.
The ideas are endless, but here are a few to get you started:
- Organize a community food drive
- Host summer events for children of the community
- Ask members to volunteer their time in coming to the aid of seniors and doing things like yard work or grocery shopping
- Advertise Christmas and Easter services
Improve the Church Building
An outdated building that isn’t comfortable might scare new guests away from the church and on to another. There’s no need for a complete renovation but at least have comfortable seating and cheerful colors on the walls.
If there is room, consider an indoor activity center to entertain children after church while adults visit and get to know each other. Churches seldom grow without families, so make sure your church is child-friendly? There are many different options in play center equipment, so even smaller spaces may be able to squeeze something in.
Additionally, an area for coffee and snacks tells new guests they are welcome, and others are interested in visiting with them. And, of course, encourage current members to stick around and greet new people.
Mission Statement
New guests want to know what your church is all about. If a mission statement hasn’t been created or updated in years, it’s time to work with other members and make a clear statement of your vision and purpose.
Open to All
Often, when someone is searching for a church, they feel lonely or disconnected from the community, and that has spurred their search. Other times, they are regular church attendees who may be new to the area or looking to switch churches.
Either way, to attract new guests, you need to make everyone feel welcome. Make it clear from your advertising to the moment people walk in the door that your church is a place of love, no matter who they are or where they’re from.
In conclusion, most people turn to church as a place of comfort and community. In order to attract new guests to your church, be clear about your mission, get involved in the community, take advantage of technology, and be open to all.
