people the desire to do the basics as new people come to your church. What should these basics include? It starts with being friendly. Before you go to your friends after church, go to someone you don’t know and say hello. If you notice someone new in the parking lot, walk up and welcome them. Sit in a different place in church each week to force yourself to see and greet new people. Go up to people who are like you — as well as some who are not like you — and get to know them. Chances are, you will find things in common. In even the simplest gestures, you can show that new people in the church matter. Rate your efforts to reach out to new people. 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 — 6 — 7 — 8 — 9 — 10 3. Make sure they will want to come back. Scripture only records a couple of times when Jesus weeps. One is in John 11:35, when Lazarus dies. The other is in Luke 19:41 as Jesus approaches Jerusalem and considers the spiritual state of the people there. Jesus cares deeply for people — and we should too. The fact that He is passionate about people, especially lost people, should motivate us to do what it takes to connect people to Him. What could be blocking you from making sure this is happening? Do you take time to be sure each new person finds a place of connection? Are you training someone in your church to see that these people receive follow-up attention? If you knew a particular person might donate $100,000 to your church, would your follow-up be different? My guess is that person wouldn’t fall through the cracks. Rate your church on how well, and with what level of care, your church follows up on new people. 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 — 6 — 7 — 8 — 9 — 10 4. Give clear next steps. At every event, a person’s next steps toward participating in the life of the church should be apparent. People are looking for guidance. Unfortunately, churches often leave guests guessing about their next steps. We should provide illumination for people rather than fogging their journeys. If you don’t know the plan, visitors and new members certainly won’t have a clue. Make the path clear so they can easily take those next steps. Spell it out in your printed material, on the Web and
in your vebal communication from the pulpit. If you think your directions are clear, have an unsaved friend read them, and ask whether they agree. Church communication often contains jargon that only church people understand. Rate your church on how easy it is for newcomers to follow a clear pathway toward getting connected. 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 — 6 — 7 — 8 — 9 — 10 5. Recognize that they are your future. New churchgoers know other people who could become new churchgoers. It’s not rocket science, but it’s amazing how often we miss this common fact. We want our church to grow, but we don’t invest in the people who know other people who need Christ. The longer most people are in church, the fewer unbelievers they encounter. This truth raises three important points. First, as believers, we need to make a conscious effort to meet unbelievers. Second, don’t overprogram the church; if people are in church all the time they won’t have the time to meet unbelievers. Third, each new person in church has a network they can influence for Christ. If we want to reach our area for Jesus, let’s network with the people God sends us. When we see one visitor, we should see 51 (one plus the 50 they know). That should provide motivation — and a glimpse into your church’s future! Rate your church on how well you see the future in each visitor. 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 — 6 — 7 — 8 — 9 — 10 Now that you have rated your church on engaging people, review your scores. Consider getting to work on improving a low score. Or focus on a point you feel the Lord wants you to improve, even if it isn’t the lowest scoring. Whatever the case, the driving force should be a desire to improve your efforts to reach people for Christ. We are on this Earth to help people find Jesus and prepare them for eternity. Shouldn’t their experience in the church be the best experience they have on this Earth? Steve Gladen serves as pastor of small groups at Saddleback Church. He oversees the strategic launch and development of more than 7,000 adult small groups on multiple campuses. He is the author of Small Groups With Purpose, which to date has been translated into eight languages.
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