RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Earlier this year,  I had the honor of ministering at Champion Forest Church in the Houston area. 

Did you know that guests decide if they are going to return to your church in the first 8 minutes of their visit.

What you don't want is for guests to have to spend those 8 minutes trying to get checked in. 

A smooth, easy check-in process is vital if you want to see guests return. 

Guests are already a little on edge as they try to get checked in. 

For many of them, this is the first time in a long time that they are visiting a church. 

Here are some tips to make your check-in process easy and smooth. 

Have a separate check-in area for guests.   

You don't want guests to spend valuable time standing in a long check-in line.  Have your guests check-in area clearly marked and adequately staffed. A big part of giving them a VIP experience is having an area designated just for them to check-in.

Don't require them to give you their entire life history when checking in.  

Just get their basic information. Child's name, age, and birthday. Parents' name, address, phone number, and email. Any allergies.

Always walk them to their classroom. Never just point or give verbal directions. We tend to forget how challenging it can be to navigate a building as a guest.  Personally walk them to their room.  This also gives you a few minutes to talk with them and make friends with them on the way to the classroom.

Explain your safety and security process.  

This is a huge deal. Parents want to know their child will be safe in your care.  

Volunteers have all had background checks done. 

No one is every alone with a child.   

Parents or guardians must present their security tag to pick up their child. 

These are the big 4 things you want to master. Get these four right and you will see guests return for a second visit. 

Here is a text message I recently received from a guest.  

"I thought your registration process was so well done. Everyone was so friendly, helpful, and the organization of it was amazing. I really appreciated how well organized and secure the whole process was."  

Due to this, they returned for a second visit and I believe they will become a part of our church.  

BTW - don't forget you only get one opportunity to make a great first impression. Make it count. Families returning hinges on this. 

Have you read my new book "Be Our Church Guest?" This book contains many more tips and trainings on how to make your check-in process go smoothly. You can order it at this link. Many churches have ordered this book for their entire volunteer check-in team. 

Growing churches provide guests with exceptional
experiences. Growing churches cause people to feel loved, accepted, welcomed, and cared for. Our goal should be to give guests a great first experience when they come to our church.

If you provide this, you will see your ministry grow. But
consistently giving guests a great first experience can be challenging. There are five key areas you should focus on if you want to take your guest services to the next level and provide an excellent experience.

G – GREETERS 

Your greeters are usually the first people that guests encounter. Make sure you have good people in these roles. Their attitude about guests will make or break the experience. It is also important to have greeters that the guests can relate to. Your greeter team should be made up of kids, teens, young couples, middle-aged people and senior adults. A healthy church will have all generations represented.

U – UNDERSTANDING

Train your volunteers to understand the importance of making new families feel welcome and accepted. You only get one chance to make a good first impression and they are a big part of this. It is important that they understand what their job description is and how they can win in the role.

E - EMPATHY

It is essential that you train your team to see things from the guests’ point of view. They don’t know where to go. They don’t know where to sign in. They don’t know how your safety and security process works. They don’t know where to pick up their child. We forget what it’s like to be a guest at a church. 

We assume that because we know our way around that everyone else should be able to do the same. Don’t
assume that the signs you have put up will be enough information for them. They need a person that will walk with them and make them feel loved and welcomed. They need someone who remembers what it is like to visit a new church and has empathy for what guests are experiencing.

S - SMILE

Be friendly. A smile is one of the most important things your team can do. A smile says “We are glad you are here. We are here to serve you and make you feel at home.”

T - TRAINING

Train your team how to respond and what to do with questions and situations they will encounter.

 Questions like these:

“What do I do when a parent has lost their pick-up tag?”

“Do we allow siblings of different ages to stay together on their first visit?”

“Where is the closest bathroom?”

“Will you contact me if my child starts crying?”

“Where do I come to pick-up my child after the service?”

“Where is the student ministry area?”

“Do you serve snacks to the kids? Are the snacks gluten free? (You should always ask first time guests about food allergies.)

These are just a few of the questions you should train your guest services team to be able to answer. Do these things well and you will see your guest experience go to the next level.

This is an excerpt from my new book "Be Our Church Guest." You can get it at this link.