Choose especially warm and friendly church members for this job. It can be an excellent way of giving particularly bubbly young members something to do before the service, or letting senior members feel valued. Make sure the greeters avoid accusatory or unwelcoming language, like, “What are you doing here?” or “What do you need?” Instead, just assume that everyone’s in the right place. Say, “Hey there! Welcome! How’re you doing today?” Listen and help out.
Treat the visitors as people, not as “visitors. " No one wants to go somewhere looking to be welcomed and instead be made to feel strange or in a separate category. Ask them questions and learn about the visitors to make them feel welcomed. Look for common ground to discuss and help them to feel as if the visitors belong.
Make sure visitors know where they can park, where to get a quick cup of coffee, and where to hang their coat. Get a pamphlet that outlines the service for the day and be available for any questions. [1] X Research source Give a quick tour of the building, if time permits. Show visitors the room where the service will take place and any other attractive facilities, if they seem interested. Some back-story about the history of the congregation can be interesting for new visitors, be friendly! Say hi to people.
Ask visitors if they’re interested in information by asking questions and finding out what they’re looking for. If someone’s visiting because they’re in town staying with relatives and live out of state, there’s not much point in forcing materials on them. Make them feel welcomed, but don’t worry about selling them on the church. This can be a tricky step in welcoming visitors, because you don’t want to assume every visitor is interested, but the easiest way to engage is usually to get visitors to sign the guest book so you can have their contact information to follow up later.
New visitors to a church should always meet the pastor before they leave, if they’re interested. Make an introduction after the sermon. If the visitors aren’t interested, don’t force it.
If visitors are uncomfortable leaving their children in a nursery at a church they’ve never visited before, that’s not unreasonable. Even if it’s uncommon, try to accommodate new guests as much as possible.
Invite visitors out for a meal, or other after-church gathering. If after-church potlucks or other get-togethers are common at your church, make visitors feel welcome by inviting them and including them in the festivities, as if they were a member. Even informal get-togethers at the buffet down the road can give guests a feel for the congregation and a sense of welcome. It may be just what they’re looking for.
At the same time, some visitors may be very talkative and have things to share. Encourage them to do so enthusiastically, if they show an interest. Prayer requests and other opportunities to contribute should be available to visitors.
