RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Disney is excellent at making first impressions...especially in the first 10 seconds.

As you approach the front gates of the Magic Kingdom you are immersed in thousands of colorful flowers. 

The smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies floats your way. 

In the background, Disney songs are playing. 

Here's something that Disney understands that we need to take a cue from.

Your interaction with guests in their first 10 seconds forms the perception they will carry with them into your church. 

The first 10 seconds in your church may seem like a small thing but that tiny amount of time makes a lasting impression. 

Keep this in mind as well.  The first impression truly is a lasting impression...especially the first 10 seconds that guests come in contact with your ministry. 

Think through these questions...

What do you want guests to see in the first 10 seconds?

What do you want guests to be immersed in the first 10 seconds?

What do you want guests to experience in the first 10 seconds?

What do you want guests to hear in the first 10 seconds?  

Your answers to these questions will determine if guests return or not.

Here are some examples...

Sight. Make sure your greeters are happy people who naturally smile.  Have bright, fun colors in your decor.

Sounds. Have happy, fun music playing in the hallways. Music is a powerful force. I recently added music in our nursery and preschool hallway for this very reason.

Smell. Guests' sense of smell should be met with a clean, pleasant smell.  

Make a great impression in the first 10 seconds and you will see guests return for a second visit.

You can get more ideas for making a great first impression in my book "Be Our Church Guest." 

It is available at this link.  

A new family walks in the door. How exciting!  You do your best to make them feel welcome...but then you never see them again. How disappointing! 

How can you see guests return? 

Let's talk about this. Here are some steps you can take to increase the percentage of families who you see a second time. 

Don't make them wait in line.  

People hate to wait in line. Have a separate check-in area for guests. Give them the VIP treatment. Make checking in as easy and quickly as possible.

Give them a great first experience. 

A first impression truly is a lasting impression. 

You only get one opportunity to make a first impression so make that first visit count. If a guest family has a poor first experience...they are not going to come back no matter how many times you call them, write them and invite them to return.  

Use their name.

You want to make their first visit as personable as possible. Train volunteers to use a first-time guest's name often. Guests love to hear their name spoken and it makes them feel special.  Obviously make sure they have a name tag on. Indicate on their name tag that they are a first-time guest.

Send them a hand-written post card. 

In the day of digital communication, a hand-written post card is golden. Kids love to get mail. Sit down and write them a personal post card.  

Offer an incentive to return. 

Give first-time families a gift when they return for a second visit. One of the things that has worked well for me is to give guests a t-shirt on their second visit.  Have your children's ministry logo on the t-shirt. Often they will wear the t-shirt in the community and to school. This not only blesses the family, but it also helps spread the word about your children's ministry. 

Call them. 

On the Tuesday or Wednesday after they visit, call the parents.  Make the phone call brief unless they ask questions and you can tell they want to talk longer.  Simply thank them for coming and let them know they are welcome to come for a second visit. 

Take these simple steps and I promise you that you will begin to see more guests return. If you can get them back for a second visit, then there is a good chance they will become a part of your ministry.  

Do you have a copy of my new book "Be Our Church Guest?"  It contains lots of ways you an improve the first time experience of guest families. If you want to see your guests' experiences go to the next level, then this book is for you. You can get it at this link. 

You have to be intentional if you want to see first-time guests return.  

Did you know that the average church only sees about 7% of guests return? 

That's a pretty low percentage, but there are some proven ways you can see more guests return. Let's take a look at 5 ways you can see more guests return. 

The first one is a big one. 

If you want to see more guests return, then you must give them a great first experience. 

You only get one opportunity to make a great first impression. If a guest has a bad first experience, I don't care how many times you email them, text them or even visit them, they are not going to return. You must exceed their expectations on their first experience. 

I've shared before about the time I was having lunch with the pastor of one of the fastest growing and largest churches in the country. I asked him how he followed up with first-time guests and he told me he doesn't follow up. Instead, he puts all of his effort into giving guests a great first experience. As they create what he called "irresistible environments" they see guests return for a second time.  

That strategy was new to me, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.  You want to see more first-time guests return? Then raise the quality of your environments. 

Send them a handwritten postcard.  

In the day of digital communication, a handwritten note is golden. A good way to do this is to have your guest service volunteers write the note. They are the people who interact with your guests and this helps the note mean more. Mention something in the note that is specific to that family. An example would be a family who just moved to your area from Pittsburg. Put something in the note that mentions this. 

Offer them a return gift. 

I decided to start offering a t-shirt on their second visit. This has been highly successful in seeing more guests return. We put a note about the return gift on the handwritten postcard. It obviously costs us some money to do this, but we felt it was worth it. When we started offering the t-shirt on the second visit, our return rate went up to 38%. 

Send the parents a text message. 

Did you know that 98% of text messages get read?  94% in the first minute. That's a high, high percentage. On the week after their visit, send your guests a simple text message that thanks them for coming. 

Establish a personal connection. 

I got this idea from another church and it is highly effective.  

Ask a guest parent to meet you for lunch that week.  

Yep. You read that right. Approach a guest parent cold turkey and invite them to meet you for lunch that week. You will be surprised to find out that most will say "yes." Obviously this should be a man meeting a man and a woman meeting a woman. 

Use the lunch to get to know them. Make a good connection and you are almost guaranteed they will be back the next Sunday.  I have seen this work time after time after time. 

Do these five things and I guarantee you that your return rate will go up. 

p.s. Have you gotten a copy of my book "Be Our Church Guest?"  It is full of ideas like this to see more of your guests return. Get your copy today at this link. 

How is your return rate for your guests?  The national average is like 7%.  The vast majority of guests don't return for a second visit. 

Let's be real. If a family has a bad first experience, they are not going to return. I don't care how many times you call them, text them, write them a postcard or even go to their house, they are not going to return. 

You only get one opportunity to make an impact.  The first impression truly is a lasting impression. 

Here's five reasons why a family will not return to your church. The good news is this...with a few tweaks or adjustments you can change this and see many more families continue to attend and get plugged in.

You are not maximizing the first 8 minutes. 

Did you know that people decide in the first 8 minutes if they are going to return to your church or not?  You do not want them spending those 8 minutes trying to find a parking spot or wondering where to enter the building or trying to find out where to check-in. 

Keep track of those 8 minutes. Look for ways to cut that time down. Maybe it's making sure you have plenty of guest parking right by the building or clearly marked entrances on the outside of the building or having greeters who can help guests know where to go. 

The more people you can help maximize those first 8 minutes, the more guests you will see return. 

You are making people wait in line. 

People hate to wait in line. As much as I love going to Disney World, I also get frustrated when I have to wait for an hour to ride something. You don't want your guests to feel that frustration on a smaller scale.

Have a separate check-in area for guests. 

Make sure you have short wait times to drop-off and pick-up kids at their rooms.

Someone was rude to them.  

People will remember how you made them feel. You can have the best children's program in the entire world, but if someone is rude to a family, they are not going to return.  Remember...while no one owns the guests and their time... everyone does own the time they are with them. 

Your front door greeters may be nice to guests, but if the person at the classroom door is rude to them, that is what they will remember. 

A guest's experience is the sum total of all of their interactions with the people on your team.  Train your volunteers to smile and go the second mile to make guests feel welcome and loved. 

Your security is lacking.  

One of parents' greatest expectations is that their child will be safe in your care.  And rightly so. We live in a time of abuse, school shootings, church shootings, kidnappings, trafficking, and more horrible atrocities. 

If parents don't feel safe leaving their child in your care, they will not return. You must build walls of security around your ministry. This includes background checks, no one ever being alone with a child, an armed security team in place, check-in and check-out plan, windows to be able to see in the rooms, and more. Explain to guest parents your safety plan so they feel secure leaving their child in your care.

They didn't make a connection with anyone. 

Yes, you shook their hand when they walked in, but then they were left to fend for themselves.  All of their interactions were superficial.  No one took the time to really talk with them and make them feel welcome.  

They didn't see anyone else who looked like them. Make sure you have some young adults and parents serving as greeters. If all they see is grey hair when they walk in, they may not return.  A healthy church has all generations represented 

Take time to talk with your guests and get to know them. It's all about relationships. If they don't make any connections, they will probably not be back. 

 Have you gotten your copy of my new book - Be Our Church Guest...Pursuing Excellence in Church Guest Services? You can order the book at this link.  

Your turn. What are some other reasons why guests don't return?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below. 

If you want to see your guests come back, you have to give them a great first experience. 

Let me tell you how important this is. If a guest has a bad first experience, they are not going to return.  Phone calls won't work.  Text messages won't work.  Emails won't work.  They are not coming back. 

You only have one opportunity to make a great first impression so you have to make it count. 

So where do we start? Let me share with you 5 critical steps to giving guests a great experience.  We'll use the letters in the word GUEST to share these.

G - go the second mile. 

If you want to see guests return, then you have to go the second mile.  You have to exceed their expectations and give them an experience that will have them saying "wow" on the way home. 

There is an organization that goes the second mile for their guests.  The organization is Disney World.

Let me share an example. I have a friend that went to Disney World with his toddler.  His toddler got sick and vomited.  It got all over the little guy's clothes. To make matters even worse, he forgot to bring an extra change of clothes in case something like this happened. 

When it happened, he was standing outside one of the stores in the park.  A Disney employee who saw what happened, came out of the store with a new set of clothes for his child. No charge for the clothes.  No wonder he has become a regular attender of the park.  

The second mile is where you will find guests who return.  

Do this...sit down with your team and talk about some ways you can go the second mile. Put those into practice and you will see guests return.  

G - go the second mile.

U - Understand the needs of your guests.

What are the needs of your guests? 

They need to know where to park.

They need to know where to enter your building.

They need to know where to go once they are inside your building.

They need to be welcomed warmly.

They need to be greeted and shown where to check in.

They need to know where to take their children.

They need to know there are other people like them at your church. 

Sit down with your team and add to this list.  Strategize how you can meet those needs.  Meet those needs and you will see guests return.

G - go the second mile.

U - understand the needs of your guests.

E - explain your processes.

Don't leave them guessing. 

How do they check-in?   

How do they pick up their children?

What happens in the children's rooms during service? 

Explain your safety and security processes. This is a big, big deal.  Parents live in a world that has child abusers, school shootings, kidnapping, etc. They want to know their children will be safe in your care.

Guests can feel overwhelmed on their first visit. Briefly explaining your processes in simple terms can help alleviate some of the stress guests may be feeling.

G - go the second mile.

U - understand the needs of your guests.

E - explain your processes.

S - speak with kindness.

Guests may not remember everything about their first visit.  But they will remember how you made them feel.

Treat them in a way that makes them feel valued. 

Listen carefully to their questions and answer them.

Never come across as condescending.  

Never make them feel like they are "bothering" you.  

They should leave thinking "those church people are nice people."  

Think about a time when you were mistreated or felt devalued.  It left a bad taste in your mouth, didn't it? 

Treat people with kindness and you will stand out.  They will return.

G - go the second mile.

U - understand the needs of your guests.

E - explain your processes.

S - speak with kindness.

T - take them instead of pointing them.

We forget what it is like to walk into a church and not know where to go. When you finish checking in a guest, it is critical that you walk them to where their room is.   

Have you ever had someone give you directions in a new place?  

"Yeah...go up the steps.  Take a left at the water fountain and then take a right at the end of the hallway.  From there go down five classrooms and you will see the bathrooms.  Go past the bathrooms and take a right at the right hallway and you will be at the room."

What???  How do you expect a new person to find a room with only verbal instructions?  

Always walk guests to their room. Don't just point. It will make a big difference in their experience. Plus, walking them to their room gives you a few minutes to make conversation and make them feel even more welcomed.

G - go the second mile.

U - understand the needs of your guests.

E - explain your processes.

S - speak with kindness.

T - take them instead of pointing them.

Get all five of these working and you will make a great first impression with guests. Get all five of these working in sync and you will see guests return. 

Have you read my new book "Be Our Church Guest...Pursuing Excellence in Church Guest Services?"  It has lots of great insights on how to see guests return. You can get your copy now at this link. 

Did you know that the majority of guests will return to your church based on how you make them feel?

I wish that the majority of people would return based on how you communicate God's Word, worship Him in song, and how you disciple their children.

But they normally come back based on the feelings they experienced while there.

Here are some feelings that you want people to feel while they are at your church.

Welcomed.  

Help them feel at home.  This starts in the parking lot.  

Diversity.

If you live in a diverse area, your church should reflect that. They should see people that look like them, talk like them, have the same interests as them, etc.

Stages of life.                                                                                                                                                                    They see other people who have children the same age as they do.  They are in the same stage of life as other people in their church.  

Important.  

They should feel like a VP.  Have a separate check-in area for them.  Have a gift for them. Walk with them to their classroom.  

Go the second mile to make them feel important.

If you can help parents feel these 4 ways during their visit with you, there is a good chance that they will return for a second visit.

Have you read my new book "Be My Church Guest?" It contains lots of practical ways you can help guests have a great experience on their first visit.  You can get it at this link.

Yesterday, we had 36 first-time guests at one of our campuses.  We are pumped that these new families walked through the doors of our church.  

But now comes the challenging part. 

Follow up.  How do we follow up with them and get them to return for a second time?

Here are 10 steps you can take to see guests return to your church, get connected, and become faithful attendees.

#1 - Give them a great first impression.  This is where it begins. If you want to see guests return, then you have to give them a great first visit. 

If they don't have a great first experience, then it will be very hard to see them return.  Start by taking a hard look at what you are currently doing to give guests a great first experience.

You need a copy of my new book - Be Our Church Guest.  It is full of ideas and insight about how to give guests a great first impression. You can get here.

#2 - Write them a handwritten note.  In a day of electronic communication, a handwritten note is golden.  Make the note personal by mentioning something unique that you learned about their family.  An example would be a family who just moved into your city.  In the note, mention you are thankful that they arrived safely in your city.

#3 - Offer them a gift for returning.  For kids, you could offer them a children's ministry t-shirt on their second visit. 

#4 - Have one of your volunteers call the family and thank them for coming.  Often it means more when a volunteer calls instead of a staff member.

#5 - Pray for them.  Pray for all of your guests by name and ask God to work in their life.

#6 - If they came with a person or family that is already attending your church, then find out from that family how you can best follow-up with them.

#7 - Drop by their house.  Although I don't personally recommend doing this, it does work for some churches.  Briefly stop by their house, give them a gift for coming, and briefly ask if they have any questions you can help answer for them.

#8 - Get them connected to other people in your church.  Is there someone who lives near them that attends your church?  Is there someone who works in the same facility as they do?  Get them connected.

#9 - Send them a text message.  95% of text messages get read!  Drop them a short text message and thank them for coming.  They will read it!

#10 - With their permission, add them to your online newsletter, electronic communication channels Facebook group, etc. 

Your turn. What did I miss?  What are some other ways you contact and follow up with guests?  Share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.

Is your children's ministry healthy?  Here are 10 signs of a healthy children's ministry.

1. Volunteer team. 

The success of your children's ministry rises and falls on the strength of your volunteer team. A healthy children's ministry has a solid volunteer team. 

2. First-time guests.  

A healthy children's ministry will have first-time guests on a regular basis.  Most often it is because kids are excited about their church and are consistently inviting people to come with them. 

3. Guests return.  

Guests will consistently return because of the great experience they had on their first visit.  The national average for guest return is about 7%.  But a healthy children's ministry will have 20-30% of guests return for a second time. 

4. Engaging teaching strategy.  

The lessons are engaging.  The lessons are relevant.  The lessons have a specific learning pathway that disciples children at their age level (check out Connect12 curriculum for a discipleship pathway).

5. A solid parent connection.  The ministry recognizes that parents are the primary disciple makers.  They spend as much time investing in parents as they do children.  They create ways for the lesson and teachings to be brought into the home during the week.

6. Good ratios. Here is what that looks like:

Infants - 1 to 2 (1 to 1 ideally)
Crawlers - 1 to 3
Toddlers - 1 to 4
2-year-olds - 1 to 4
3-year-olds - 1 to 6-8
4-year-olds - 1 to 8
5 year-olds through 5th grade - 1 to 8

7. Smiles.

You see lots of smiles. Volunteers are smiling. Parents are smiling. The kids are smiling. You feel a sense of warmth when you are around them.

8. Growth.

Anything that has life grows. A healthy children's ministry is a growing children's ministry.

9. Spiritual growth.

There is evidence of personal spiritual growth among the kids and parents. They are being challenged and equipped to have their own personal walk with Jesus and they are stepping up to the challenge.

10. The children's ministry is impacting the entire church. Its influence is felt throughout the church. It is helping the entire church grow. The church is becoming known as the place in town for kids and their parents.

How healthy is your children's ministry?

As you have read through this list, have you been challenged in any of these areas?

Now is the time to take some steps and help your children's ministry get healthy.