6. Make a Big Deal out of Guest Services

Every major department store has one thing in common – GUEST SERVICES! This team of “relational savvy” employees are equipped to handle any question, comment, or concern that make come their way. They help to add a real personal dimension to the organization as a whole.

In the church I believe we need to make it EASY, OBVIOUS, AND STRATEGIC for guests to navigate the hallways of our church, but also to navigate the next steps in their spiritual journey.  Having a one stop shop for guests to visit before & after the worship experience is vital to connecting guests with the right people and the right information.  Sure, the pastor and his staff might be available at times on a Sunday, but not every guests knows who is on staff – so having a Guest Services team easily identified and stationed in a highly visible place is key to helping guests feel welcome and also helping guests to discover more about the church and their own personal relationship with God.

At TheDC we utilize Guest Services for most of our weekend “connecting” – it is the main connecting point for people, mostly guests and regular attenders, before & after the worship experience.  We encourage every 1st & 2nd time guest to fill out a Connection Card, and then drop it off at Guest Services where we will quickly hand them a “thank you gift” (usually its a $5 Gas Card, that says, “Thank you for being our guest.  We’d love to have you back, and we’re even willing to help you get here.”)  For 2nd time guests it is usually a book with a custom DC Bookmark:-)  As a side note we don’t try and harass our guests, it is a fine balance between making a guest feel welcome and simply pushing them too far.  This is a kind of an art, but we try and train our HOST TEAMS to warmly greet people, ask if they need any help, engage in light conversation if the guest seems willing, if not let them know we are here to help in any way.

5. Escort, don’t Point.

Have you ever been to a store, asked for something that you have just spent the past 20 minutes of your life hunting for, only to receive a store employee willing to POINT TO IT, as if you can see down their arm into a laser like scope that magically enables you to see through shelves to the product you are looking for.  This can be frustrating and I’m sure its not what they were trained to do; what they were trained to do most likely is to escort the customer to what they are looking for – to go the EXTRA MILE!

I love it when an employee is willing to walk me over to the product instead of sending me off on another wild goose chase. In the church, we can really love on our guests by simply refusing to point and instead “escorting” them to their desired destination. If they are looking for the restrooms, and you are thinking, gee they are just down the hallway, resist the temptation to simply point it out, if they felt comfortable they would have just ventured out on their own. Take an extra minute, go the extra mile, and walk with them, who knows you might even spark up some conversation and make them feel even more at home in God’s House! And when people feel at home in God’s House they are more likely to invite God to feel at home in their house!

At TheDC the God-Experience starts in the parking lot, in fact I believe it starts the minute people pull up our website, pull onto our street, and park in our parking lot.  We have smiles and team members with name tags ready to ESCORT & not point. I know we can get better in this area, but I love seeing a team of passionate Christ-followers own the vision and boldly step up to help others feel welcome in God’s House.  We call them parking lot attendants, greeters, and ushers – we also have a hospitality team that is responsible for preparing coffee, treats, water, and literature on the seats so every guest has an unforgettable experience with Jesus.  Its all connected to each other – and its all about escorting people one step closer to Jesus!

4. Greet with a Smile.

Sometimes I like to pick on the Walmart greeters, let’s just say that not all Walmart Greeters are created equal. Some will smile and give a genuine, HI, HOW ARE YOU, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY, can I help you with anything? Others appear as if they just rolled out of bed into a jar of pickles, then slapped on a Walmart Apron.

When you go to a party where you hardly know anyone, you and I both know how great it is to have THAT ONE PERSON who notices you and sincerely welcomes you. They might say, “Hey man, so glad you came here today, let me know if you need anything.” It’s even better when they try to engage you in some light but genuine conversation, or they offer a cold beverage.

I believe we can do the same thing in our churches with the right kind of planning and preparation. We can welcome our guests with a smile, a genuine greeting like, I’M SO GLAD YOU CAME HERE TODAY. If you hand out any literature, make sure to include something that helps guests feel more engaged, like everything has been thought out for their benefit in order to create the most meaningful experience possible for them.