Last week we looked at internal logistics to help you prepare for a hospitality team. Let’s look at some external elements that will help pull your hospitality team together smoothly.
Provide guest information online
Your website is your new front door in welcoming people. If you do not have a website up, please consider getting one. Most people these days look everything up online before they choose to go somewhere. Visitors are looking at your sites to see who you are and what you care about. Ensure your service time is clear on the site and ministry programs and children/youth programs. Make sure the church address is written for GPS linking and your phone number as well.
Address Guests from Stage
Welcome your guests from the stage but do not call them out or have them stand up. A simple glad you are here and thanks for choosing to spend an hour of your time with us today goes a long way. Invite guests to visit your connect corner or information desk after the service. If you wanted to have a first-time guest gift, this is the perfect place for that.
Sit in the Middle
Now I know we are all creatures of habit sitting in our usual places all the time. However, sitting in the middle of the row is helpful and welcoming to visitors. It is awkward when you have to cross over people to get a seat. Leaving space on the end also lets those arriving a little late space to slip in comfortably.
Put the Words on the Screen
If you are using screens in your service, you probably always have the lyrics to songs on the screen. But are you putting the Lord’s Prayer or the Apostle’s Creed up there as well? For visitors that were not raised in the church or Methodist traditions, these small changes help create comfort and do not leave anyone out in their space to respond.
Easy Connection
Make it easy for your guests to get connected to your church community and activities. Have clear next steps you are asking guests to take. After they have visited several times, they may be open to more information about getting more involved. The faster you can get a guest connected to a group, the more likely they will stay for the long-haul.
Share Online
Invite your congregation to share your messages online. Even if you are live streaming, it helps create a digital hospitality space when people share the messages and other things your church is doing on their social platforms. If they are watching from home, they can share when the live stream starts. If they attended in person, they could share later that afternoon.
Mini Sermon Videos
If you can break your sermon into smaller videos, you could make two to three 30 – 90-second videos from the sermon to share on social media. Then link it to the full message for people to go view. If guests are watching your content online, they may be more likely to come to see you in person eventually.
Bathrooms
How hospitable are your bathrooms? Most people will visit these as they are in your building. Ensure they are stocked with paper towels, soap, toilet paper, sprays, and whatever else you might think people would need. Do you have a baby changing station of both men and women’s bathrooms? Maybe have a table that ladies can put their purses on. Do kids need a step stool to reach the sink? These are all things that help people feel more welcomed. Something for a few Sundays before Mother’s Day would be to have cards in the men’s bathrooms for people to take if they need a card!
Connection Corner
Consider creating a space that is centralized for information for regular and new attendees. Returning guests may wonder where to get information on how to get more involved. Making a central location makes it easier to find your information and to meet new people.
Building a Culture
Encourage your regular attendees to greet new people. Again, some people may be comfortable with just a hello, while some will want to go deeper. That is ok. Just make sure that people are aware of when new guests are present and that they are acknowledged. It’s better to have six people say hello than everyone assume the visitor has been greeted and no one actually said hello …
These are just a few ways to prepare to welcome your guests genuinely and organically. Find what fits your church’s culture and strengthen those areas. Don’t be afraid to try new things and to stop something if it is not working. Next week, we will look at some ways to evaluate your hospitality habits and look at a connectional plan.