Making Church Guests Feel Comfortable and Welcomed
If your church struggles with getting first-time visitors to return, you're not alone. According to Elexio, only about 30% of visitors will return for a second visit. You can help improve that number by making guests and attendees feel welcomed. While we might be your go-to steel building provider, our team is here today to share to top ways to make your guests feel completely welcomed.
Top 10 Hospitality Tips for Your Worship Service
1. Greet Guests with a Smile
Those volunteers who hold open doors and hand out bulletins should extend every effort to make the best first impression possible. Thankfully, casting a smile isn’t all that hard to do, especially when worshiping with your congregation on a Sunday morning. Make sure every greeter is hospitable and welcoming when guests walk in.
2. Use a Welcome Display on the Door
A lot of contemporary, modern churches display the church’s logo, the ministry’s vision or just a simple “welcome” graphic on the door to make guests and regular attenders feel welcomed, reminded of why your church is where they choose to worship.
3. Have Coffee Available
3. Have Coffee AvailableEveryone likes a cup of Joe in the morning. By providing complimentary coffee, you’ll help guests and members feel comfortable while at church. This small gesture can go a long way in making your church feel like home to parishioners.
4. Make Your Foyer Welcoming
First impressions matter. A lot of churches are now going with an open concept layout, making the foyer area a wide-open spot for churchgoers to mingle and fellowship before service.
5. Let Childcare be a Priority
According to Pushpay, the age demographic that attends church the most is the 30-49 group. This is the age range of people who are more likely to have young children, which is why childcare should be a priority at your church. By having reputable children and student ministries, your church will be more appealing to young adults and families.
6. Update Your Facility as Needed
While your website, logo and song list might’ve gotten a few updates throughout the years, has your building? With the emerging popularity of home improvement channels and shows, focusing on interior design is more important now than ever. Make subtle aesthetic changes to your building’s common areas to improve the overall feel and look of your building—thus making it more appealing to guests.
7. Give a Gift to Guests
While this is standard in many churches, it’s not a detail to be overlooked. Make your guests feel welcome by putting something in their hands to walk out with. While this could be anything from baked goods to a tumbler, a refreshing and creative idea for a gift could be a $5 donation in their name to a charity from a pre-selected list.
8. Save a Good Parking Space for First-Time Visitors
8. Save a Good Parking Space for First-Time VisitorsYou may have a fully-fledged operation Sunday morning with volunteers helping out with traffic in the parking lot, but even if you have a simpler operation, you can reserve a convenient spot for your visitors so they feel like VIP when they come. By reserving some parking spots with “Visitors Only” signs, your church could make life that much more trouble-free for first-time guests.
9. Make Your Guests Comfortable
Your worship center should be one people want to come back to. Whether it’s nice seating or refreshing air conditioning, make your worship center feel comfortable for guests. Some small details that can make a difference are lighting and sound; use soft or natural lighting so that your churchgoers can worship freely and comfortably, and make sure the house speakers are at an appropriate volume—with acoustic treatment around the room if need be. Meet with acoustician or sound consultant professional regarding the latter.
10. Invest in the Right Building Choice
10. Invest in the Right Building ChoiceIf you’re in the market for a new facility for your church, our professionals believe that a 100 x 300 steel building is the right choice to make. That’s why we got into this business in the first place—the help equip businesses and organizations with the ideal structure that will best suit them.
Experience the Arco Difference
Being in the industry since 1979, Arco is a team of professionals ready to help put you in a building that's the best match for you. Contact us today at 1-800-241-8339 or requesting a quote on our website for a 100 x 300 steel building. Be a part of our online community by connecting with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for more on how our products can benefit your ministry.
