Many church leaders focus on the “what” of their mission to bring people to Jesus, such as connecting them to God and each other through a personal relationship with Christ. However, the challenge lies in figuring out the “how” to accomplish this vision. Every church is different, but some general principles can help answer these difficult questions.
Strategy: “The How”
Although every church is different, there are a few principles that come into play in answering the “how” of reaching people for Jesus.
1. Hospitality
One important aspect is to have a strategy in place for welcoming and connecting with first-time guests. This includes being hospitable, providing a welcoming environment, and having a plan to follow up with guests after their initial visit. Additionally, it’s crucial to have a safe, clean, and fun kid’s area and age-appropriate teachings to engage young children.
2. Connections
Having a solid strategy to connect with first-time guests is essential to ensuring they return to your church. To achieve this, it’s important to consider various factors.
- Are your volunteers welcoming and friendly?
- Do you have a process for collecting connection cards from new visitors?
- Do you have a team in place to follow up with guests through email, phone calls, or personal notes?
The ultimate goal is to turn first-time guests into second-time guests as quickly as possible. Additionally, being well-prepared to care for first-time guests with young children is crucial. This means ensuring that your kid’s area is safe, clean, and well-staffed and provides age-appropriate teachings about Jesus in a fun and engaging way. If children have a great experience at church, they’ll be excited to come back, and their parents will likely return as well.
3. Worship
To fulfill its mission, a church must first be magnetic to those it seeks to serve. This means intentionally striving for excellence in worship. What makes your worship experience resonate with others? It’s important to consider this question and ensure that your church’s worship services are both excellent and engaging.
I have wrestled with the balance between striving for excellence and feeling like we are a part of Christian consumerism. The bottom line is the heart motive. Make sure whoever is leading worship has a heart like David and is not in performance mode but leading the church family into the “Holy of Holies” and offering up their worship in the best way they know.
I have wrestled with the balance between striving for excellence and feeling like we are a part of Christian consumerism. The bottom line is the heart motive. Click To Tweet
4. Message – Teaching – Preaching
According to scripture, faith is built by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). With this in mind; it’s important to deliver clear, concise, and practical messages about Jesus and how to apply his teachings to everyday life while keeping first-time guests in mind. The most effective way to spread the news of a church plant or an existing church is through the genuine transformation of its congregants’ lives.
Your strategy (how) executes your vision (what). To achieve your vision for your church (the what), your strategy, “the how,” is crucial. If you want to take your church to the next level, you need to be willing to address the “how” questions. By figuring out the details of your strategy, you allow God to work through you and bring your vision to fruition.
