RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

I am always on the lookout for great guest follow-up ideas. 

There are lots of ways you can follow up with guests as you seek to get them to come back for a second visit.

A gift card.  A free coffee.  A book written by the senior pastor.  A Bible.  A free engraved pen.  We could go on and on.  All of these are good ideas.  But recently I came across a GREAT idea for getting families to come back for a second visit.  It is so good that I wanted to share it with you today.

The idea comes from a preschool ministry director in the Dallas area.

When the mom returns to pick up her child, the preschool director invites her to meet for a cup of coffee at a local coffee shop that coming week.  The director said that the vast majority of mothers say, "Yes." 

This gives her an incredible opportunity to get to know the mom and begin a friendship with her.  Out of this, the director sees a high percentage of guests return for a second visit.

This would definitely be worth trying at your church if you're looking for a way to see more guests return. 

Your turn.  What other ideas or strategies do you use to see guests return?  Share with everyone in the comment section below.

Do you want to make a huge impact on guests?  Have them telling their friends, family and co-workers how much they enjoyed attending your church?  Exceed their expectations and make such an impression that they are guaranteed to return?

If your answer is "yes," then you must be ready to go past the first mile and journey to the 2nd mile marker.  

The kind of impact that can alter the course of a family's life happens at the second mile marker.

The Disney company has lots of families that are raving fans.  Fans that return time and time again.  Families who have been fans for generations.  And the impact that has made them such big fans has not just come from the rides, shows, food, parades or fireworks.  It has come from the company empowering their team members to go the second mile in guest services.

Here's an example.  Recently, the Ramsaran family took their yearly spring break trip to Disney World.  The mom, Kelly, had let her young son, Wes, pick out a special toy on the trip.  Wes picked out a Slinky dog toy.  He was so excited to have the new toy. 

On the way home, they realized Slinky was missing.  They had left accidentally left him on a bench in one of the stores.  After chatting with a Disney employee on the phone for over 30 minutes, they weren't sure if Wes would ever see his Slinky toy again.

Later, after arriving home, Kelly received a phone call back from a cast member at the store.  They had found Slinky!  They told Kelly not to worry about the shipping for the toy and that it would arrive at their home in about 10 days. 

You're probably thinking, "That's awesome - they went the second mile for that family."

But it gets even better.

When Slinky arrived at the family's home, he wasn't alone.  Along with the Slinky dog toy was also a Woody doll, a bucket of toy soldiers, a specially addressed letter and a ton of photos showing Wes the adventure Slinky had been on before coming home to him.  The photos showed Slinky at Disney World playing video games, shopping for candy and a host of other things, as if the actual toys from Toy Story were on an adventure in the park.

Do you think the Ramsaran family will be back at Disney World?  Do you think they will spread the word about how the company went the second mile for them?  Do you think they will continue to be raving fans?  Of course, they will.

The second mile is what sets an organization apart from the rest. 

In this case, the average organization would have placed Slinky in a "lost and found" and told the family they could come back and get him on their next visit.  Or they might have offered to mail it...if the family was willing to pay the shipping.  But Disney is not an "average" organization when it comes to guest services and maybe that's the reason they're the number one vacation destination in the world for families.

Here's the good news.  There's not a lot of competition at the second mile marker.  It's so rare, that when families encounter it, they are impacted in a huge way.

One thing to remember.  Most often, the opportunity to go the second mile will come from what seems to be an inconvenience.  It wasn't convenient for the Disney employees to spend time taking pictures with the Slinky toy.  It wasn't convenient to gather extra toys to put in the box.  And it wasn't convenient for them to spend the energy and resources needed to mail the package to the family.

But the inconvenience of going above and beyond is what opens the door for you to make a huge impact.

What if you and your guest services' teams started seeing inconveniences not as an inconvenience, but as an opportunity?  What if you saw the second mile not as a burden, but as a chance to bless a family?

If you're really serious about making a huge impact on families, then here's what I would encourage you to do.  Sit down with your team and make a list of ways you can go to the second mile marker.  Especially focus on how you can turn the "inconvenient" times into second mile opportunities.

Here are a few examples to spark your conversation...

When a parent calls about a coat their child left at church on Sunday that is needed for school - how can we go to the second mile marker?

When a child loses their Bible and it is nowhere to be found - how can we go to the second mile maker?

When a parent shows up without their check-out name tag - how can we go to the second mile marker while keeping our safety and security process in place?

When a child has an accident at church and messes up his or her clothes - how can we go to the second mile marker?

When a family misses church due to illness -  how can we go to the second mile marker?

When a child is in the hospital - how can we go to the second mile marker?

When a single mom loses her car keys at church - how can we go the second mile marker? 

When a new family walks in the doors in the middle of a service - how can we go to the second mile marker?

The first mile is easy.  The second mile takes a lot of effort.  But it's where you'll see huge impact happen.  Come on!  Let's head to the second mile marker!  

Your turn.  The floor is yours.  How does your team go to the second mile marker?  What are some ideas and insight you have for going the second mile to impact families?  Share your thoughts with everyone in the comment section below.

p.s. You can get more great ideas from Disney for your guest service's ministry in the best-selling book "If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry."  Get it now at this link.

Guest services matters.  Mucho.  In fact, it's one of the most important components of seeing people have a great experience at your church. 

Great guest services doesn't just happen by chance.  It takes intentionality.

Here are 10 Golden Rules for guest services.  Train your guest services' team to live by these and you'll get rave reviews from guests.

Smile.  When you smile, it communicates to people that you are glad they're here and that you're happy to help them.  

I often ask guests for feedback from their experience at our church.  I remember one time, a guest responded that we did a great job helping them register and taking them to their child's classroom.  But they said the lady at the classroom door never smiled at them.  It was a great opportunity to remind our team how important it is to smile. 

Use their name.  The sweetest sound to every person is their own name.  As soon as you find out the person's name, use it in your conversation with them.  When you use a person's name, it helps them feel known and valued.

Walk don't point.  Always walk your guests to their room or destination.  First, this takes away their stress of not knowing where to go (even if you gave them directions, they are dealing with the stress of trying to remember and follow the directions).  Secondly, it gives you a few more minutes to spend with them as you take them to the location.

Make good eye contact.  Look at people, not past people.  When you are with a guest, really be with them.  Focus your time and attention solely on them.

Never say "I don't know."  When you are asked a question that you don't have the answer for, say "That's a great question.  Let me find out the answer and I'll let you know." 

Better yet, equip your team ahead of time with the knowledge they need, so they do have the answer.  Practically, this means giving them a cheat sheet that has information about ministries other than yours, a list of upcoming events, etc.

Don't make people wait.  Everyone hates to wait.  Monitor the wait times for check-in, pick-up, coffee lines, traffic flow out of the property after the service, etc.  Make wait times as short as possible. 

I have often gotten in a pick-up line in the preschool or elementary areas and timed how long it took me to get from the back of the line to the pick-up door.  If it is more than 3 minutes, we look for ways to shorten the wait time.  

Acknowledge the person as quickly as possible.  When you do have someone waiting in line, acknowledge their presence.  This can be as simple as saying, "Hi, glad you're here.  I'll be right with you."  This simple step will drop their stress level of having to wait in line.

Courtesy and respect.  Treat people right.  More than anything else, they will remember how you made them feel.  And the truth is, they will return based on how you made them feel emotionally.

Be positive.  Here's an example.  The check-in computers go down right in the middle of check-in.  You have switch over and write out security tags manually.  The attitude you display during this challenge speaks volumes. 

Negative

"I hate when this happens.  What a pain!  Okay.  We're going to have to write out everyone's tags by hand.  It's going to take more time, so everyone hang!"  

Positive

"The check-in system is offline for a few minutes.  So let's write out your security tags.  Let's have some fun.  Pick out your favorite color of pen and we'll use that to write down your name.  And look, I even added a smiley face for you on your tag because you've got a great smile."

See the difference?  A positive attitude can turn a stressful situation into a fun situation.

Listen.
Take time to really listen to what they share.  This helps you learn about them and be able to mention specific details about them as you follow up.  Here's an example.  If you listen and remember that a new family has just moved from...say...Seattle...you can mention that the next time you talk with them.  This will show you are taking a personal interest in them.

I've made an infograph with these 10 Golden Rules that you can share with your guest services' team.  Download it now for free at this link. 

Have you ever had a bad experience at a restaurant or place of business?   If so, I'm sure you remember it.  We don't usually forget it, do we?  Here are a couple of reviews I read recently.

"The pizza was frozen, the staff was not helpful and most of the parents didn't know how to watch their kids.  I'd rather pass kidney stones without pain medication than be dragged there again."

"One of our friends from out of town has type 1 diabetes.  While we stood there waiting for a table in a restaurant, his hands began to shake.  It looked like he was going into diabetic shock, which can be prevented with a quick infusion of sugar, from, say, a glass of orange juice.  So, one of us frantically asked one of the servers behind the bar for a glass of orange juice.  'Our friend, who is diabetic, needs some orange juice asap.'  The server looked at our friend's shaking hands, looked at her, and said, 'Nice act.'  What happened next?  Well, our friend went into shock.  He shook uncontrollably and collapsed on the floor.  We called an ambulance.  The paramedics came, took him outside and helped him get his blood sugar level back to normal."

I seriously doubt the people ever went back to those places and they spread the word about their bad customer service experience.

Contrast that to when you receive great customer service.  We don't forget that either, do we?  And we spread the word that we've found a place that really values their customers. 

Here's what we must understand.  The people who are walking in the doors of your church are not comparing your customer service to just other churches.  They are comparing your customer service to places of business, restaurants, clothing stores and other establishments they interact with.  

If you want to see guests return to your church, then you've got to deliver a great customer service experience.  Here are 10 steps you can take to do this.

Step 1 - Provide Great Parking
I chuckle when I see a church that has reserved parking for the pastor and staff right in front of the church.  I'm all for honoring pastors, but when it comes to parking, I believe we should give guests the best parking spots.  Pastors, staff and volunteers can lead the way by parking in the worst spots and saving the best spots for guests. 

The sermon starts in the parking lot.

Think about when you're riding around a store like Target, looking for a place to park.  Once in awhile, the seas of cars will part and there it is...a great parking spot that is in the front.  You smile and quickly pull in.  You walk into the store whistling a tune and happy that you were blessed to find such a great parking spot.

When you reserve great parking for guests, that's the way they will feel as they walk into your church.  You're off to a great start in providing them with a great experience.

Step 2 - Have Clear Outside Signage
Speaking of walking in the building, it helps to be able to know where to walk in.  I spend a lot of weekends consulting with churches and recently I pulled into the parking lot of a large church on a Sunday.  Problem was, there was no outside signage.  After driving around for awhile, I finally parked as close as I could get to the big front doors. 

But when I got to the front doors, I discovered that they were locked.  Even though it looked like an entrance, it wasn't.  I walked to 4 other sets of doors until I finally found a door that was open.  I walked down the hallway and opened another door and suddenly realized it was the baptistry door.  A few more steps and I would have made a splashing entrance into the service. 

Needless to say, it was a frustrating experience that could have been avoided with some simple outside signage that marked where to enter.  This is especially helpful if families have children and are looking for an entrance into the children's area.

Step 3 - Friendly Greeters at the Doors
Notice I used the word "friendly."  It's important who you place as greeters.  There are some people who must have been baptized in pickle juice.  They have the personality of a prune.  In other words, if the wicked witch of the west attends your church, you don't want to place her as a greeter. 

Your greeters are the face of your church.  Make sure you have smiling, positive, helpful, pleasant people at the doors.  Train them to make people feel welcome and comfortable.

Step 4 - Separate Check-In Area for Guests
One thing that we all hate to do is wait in line.  So this is something you want to focus on for guest services.  It's important to have enough check-in areas for your regular attendees so they don't have to wait very long to check in.  But it's especially important to not make first-time guests wait in line.  One way you can avoid this is to have a separate check-in area for guests.  This also gives you more of an opportunity to focus solely on them and give them the royal treatment.

Step 5 - Train Your Guest Services Team to Know What NOT to Say
It's just as important to know what NOT to say, as it is to know what to say.  Here's a few examples.

• Instead of saying "I don't know" say "Let me find out for you."

• Instead of saying "She's can't talk right now" say "She's currently teaching the kids. I'd be happy to let her know you stopped by and give her a message for you."

• Instead of saying "No problem" say "It's my pleasure."

• Instead of saying "It's over there" say "I'd be happy to show you. Follow me."

 Step 6 - Walk With Rather Than Pointing
Have you ever been in a big box store, wandering around, trying to find something with no clue where to go?  You look around and there's no one in site to help you.  Frustrating isn't it? 

That's the way guests feel when we leave them to find their own way through our buildings.  Even if you give them quick directions to a specific area, they will probably still be uneasy as they try to navigate through an unfamiliar place. 

Always...always...always walk with guests to their children's classrooms and then take the parents to the auditorium.  This not only makes it easy for them, but it also gives you the opportunity to do step 7.

Step 7 - Talk With Guests Rather Than at Guests
Have you ever approached an employee for help at a place of business and they gave you the vibe that you were bothering them?  They helped you, but grudgingly, and made little, if any, eye contact with you.  Left you feeling devalued, didn't it?

It's important to show a personal interest in guests.  This can be done by being intentional about talking with them while you are helping them get checked in, walking them to their classroom, etc.
As you talk with them, it should be all about them, not you.

Here's a simple tool you can train your team to use when talking with guests.  It's called FISH.  The letters are a reminder of questions you can ask them.

F - Family (ask them about their family including kids, ages of kids, etc.)
I - Interests (this can be about sports, teams the kids are on, pets, local attractions, etc.)
S - School (ask the kids about their school, what subjects they like, etc.)
H - Hobbies (ask about what they enjoy doing for fun)

Step 8 - Explain Safety & Security Guidelines

With terrorist attacks, school shootings, kidnappings and yes, church shootings, parents are very concerned for their children's safety.  In this recent article, I shared how crucial it is to have solid safety and security procedures and policies in place.  This will not only help you protect the children and families in your church, but will also help you retain first-time guests. 

While you are checking the family in and walking them to their rooms, share with them the following information:

• The purpose of the parent / child safety tags.  Share with them that this ensures that no one else can pick up their child.

• Every volunteer has been through a thorough on-boarding, vetting process that includes a background check, personal interview, reference calls, orientation, training, etc.

• The rule of two.  No one will ever be alone with their child.

• That you will contact them if their child needs them (pagers, text, number on screen, etc.)

Step 9 - Train Your Team How to Manage Tense Situations
When people get upset, it's important to act rather than react.   This only happens when you have equipped your team with the proper steps to take and the right attitude to have  Respond in the right way and you can turn someone who is upset into a fan.

• Remember that many times you are seeing the surface symptoms of deeper issues. 

• If you're in a crowded place, move to a quieter, private place.

• Lower the decibel level.  Talk softer than they are talking.  The Bible reminds us that a soft answer turns away wrath. 

• Listen.  People want to be heard.  What you enable them to say is often more important than what you are going to say.

• Use silent pauses.  As they vent, pause before you respond.  This has a calming effect.

• Use the word "let's" rather than "you."  This helps bring collaboration rather than "us" vs. "you."

• Rehearse back to them what they said.  This shows you value and understand what they have told you.

• Ask open-ended questions that they can respond "yes" to.  This helps bring you together on the same team. 

• Brainstorm options with them.  This helps you partner with them to resolve the issue.

• Thank them for their concerns.  This shows you value their concerns and them as a person.

• Apologize to them even if it's not your fault.  Pride looks for an apology.  Humility gives a apology.  Pride seeks a victory.  Humility seeks a resolution.

• Follow-up with them.  Let them know about any steps that have been taken to resolve the issue. At times a card, flowers or gift certificate is a great touch.  Kindness can help dissolve conflict

Step 10 - Bring the Wow Factor
If you really want to improve your guest services, then bring the "Wow Factor."  Why?  Because exceptional is what is remembered.  Exceptional is the best follow-up.  If a family has a great experience on their first visit, they will return and bring people with them. 

Here's an example.  I have a friend who was at Disney World with his preschooler.  The child got sick and threw up on her shirt.  And they had forgotten to pack any extra clothes.  It was not a good scenario.  But a Disney cast member saw the dilemma the family was in and approached them.  The cast member said, "Come into the store with me and let's pick out a shirt for your daughter....free-of-charge."

Needless to say, the family are big fans of Disney and will return! 

Think of ways you can bring the wow factor to families.  No, you can't do this for every single family, but you can "do for the few what you wish you could do for everyone."

Here's an example of how I did this with a first-time family.  As I was walking them to their classroom, I used the FISH tool I mentioned in point 7.  Through this, I found out that the boy loved basketball.  After getting them to their classrooms, I jumped in my car and drove to a nearby Target, where I bought a basketball. 

When the parents came to pick up their child, I was waiting at the exit door with a new basketball for their son.  They were blow away that someone would be so intentional to make them feel special and welcomed. 

Get these 10 steps in place and you'll see your guest services go to a whole new level.  You can also get more great ideas for this in the book "If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry."  There is an entire chapter called "Customer Service Like Disney" that shares great insight and ideas from how Disney does customer service.  You can get it at this link. 

Since first-time guests decide in the first 8 minutes if they're going to return or not, it's vital to make them feel comfortable as you greet them, help them check-in and walk them to their rooms.

One of the best ways to do this is to engage them in conversation.  Think about how you feel when you walk into a place of business and the hosts are friendly and engaging with their conversation.  It puts you at ease and helps you feel at home, doesn't it?  Compare that to the awkwardness you feel when you walk into a place and are met with a cold, quick greeting with little, if any, interest shown toward you.  Big difference, isn't it?

That being said, all conversations aren't created equal.  Conversation that makes people feel comfortable and welcomed is an art.  The good news, it's an art that can be learned.  Let's take a look at 10 ways you and your team can get better at talking with first-time guests.

Find people with the right personality.  It's a lot easier to sharpen the conversation skills of someone who actually likes people.  Look for people who have a pleasant attitude and wear a smile.  If you currently have someone on your greeter team who is short with people or moody, it would be best to move them to another role.

Make eye contact.  Ever walk into a place of business and the person behind the desk doesn't even look up to acknowledge your presence?  Or they look at you, but you can tell they're looking past you?  Makes you feel devalued, doesn't it?  Don't let that be you and your team.  Look guests in the eye as you greet them.  This lays the foundation for a great conversation.

Use their name.  Quickly find out their name and use it. When you use a person's name, it draws them into the conversation.  

Show interest in them.  If you really don't care about your guests, they will sense it.  Talk about their interests.  People love to talk about themselves.

Acknowledge it can feel awkward to be at a new place.  If you sense they are nervous, especially the children, put them at ease by telling them you know it can be scary walking into a new place, but you're so glad they're here and you're going to help them feel right at home.  Doing this can help put them at ease.

Ask open-ended questions.  Give them opportunities to share by asking open-ended questions.     

Find something in common.  As you talk with them, look for things you have in common.  Perhaps you have family in the state they moved from.  Maybe your kids are the same age.  Find something that will give you a connection with them.

Use FOR to spark conversation. 

• F - Family
• O - Occupation
• R - Recreation (what do they like to do for fun)

Complement them on something.  The best complement is to say something nice about the kids.  The way to a parent's heart is to say something nice about their child. 

Have a few backup questions ready.  If you're having a hard time getting the conversation going, have some backup questions ready from a variety of subjects such as sports, weather, school, etc. Just make sure it's not a controversial topic.  This is not the time to bring up politics.

More than the sermon, more than the music, more than the building, guests will first and foremost remember how you made them feel.  Use your conversation to make them feel welcome, accepted and comfortable, and they will return.

The summer slump.  It's become an accepted reality in most churches.  Attendance dips and volunteers are sporadic.

But what if your summer months actually became one of your highest attended times of the year?  What if you had lots of first-time guests walk in your doors during the summer months?

Guess what?  It is possible to grow your children's ministry during the summer months.

Last year we decided, instead of forfeiting the summer months, to think outside the box and see if we could find a way to actually grow during this time.  We decided to try a church-wide series called "At the Movies" for the month of July.  Each week, from adults to kids, we shared a lesson that used a major movie to illustrate Biblical truth.  We themed out our hallways with props we created from the movies, provided free popcorn and gave people invitation cards to invite their unchurched friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.

The response was phenomenal.  Instead of slumping during these summer weeks, attendance shot up and we had some of our highest attended weekends of the entire year.  You can see more about what we did last year in this post.

We're doing the same thing this year and can't wait to see what happens.  Below is the invite card our kids will be using to invite other kids and families to come with them.  We're expecting another huge summer. 

I want to encourage you to think about some ways you can grow your children's ministry this summer.  Yes, lots of families are gone on vacation, but there are just as many families who are looking for something to do with their kids and all they need is an invite to an exciting event at your church.  I'm praying with you that this summer instead of seeing a slump...you'll see new families walking in the doors...that you'll see kids and families reached for Christ...that you'll see lives changed...and that you'll see growth instead of decline.  Yes...it can happen...even in the summer months!

In this article, I shared 5 things guests hate doing at church.  The first one was waiting in line.

People hate waiting in line.  I do.  Don't you?  If you need a reminder, visit your local DMV for a refresher course.

Each weekend, there are 3 times that have the potential to cause people to get "stuck in line" at your children's ministry.  These are 3 times that you should monitor closely.

Time #1 - First-Time Guest Registration.  You want to make the registration/check-in process for new families as quick as possible.

One way you can shorten the time is by having a separate check-in area for first-time guests.  Don't make them wait in line with your regular attendees.

Another way to shorten the time is by having a simple registration form.  The more information you have to collect from them, the longer it will take.  Trim down your registration form to the basic need-to-knows.  You can also do away with paper registration forms and collect the information on a computer or tablet.  It's quicker to type it than write it...and you get the added bonus of being able to actually read what it says versus trying to decipher someone's handwriting.

Two weeks ago, I timed the check-in process for a new family.  Literally.  I took the stopwatch on my iPhone and timed it.  It took 5 1/2 minutes from the time they stepped up to the registration table to the time they arrived at the classroom door.

Not bad...but not great either.  I'm working to get it down to 3 minutes.  We are preparing to move to a digital form like I mentioned above.  I believe this will shave off some of the time.

Time #2 - Check-In for regular attenders.  How long does it take your families to check in?  How long do they have to wait in line?  Monitor this closely.  If you have lines backing up, it's time to add some additional check-in stations.  If you're using digital check-in, how fast is it?  Are the computers or tablets running at optimal speed?  Do you need to get a better internet connection?  Update some computers?  Invest in a new check-in system?  Regular attenders should be able to check in with a time frame of 1 minute or less.

Time #3 - Pick-Up.  Having to wait after service can be even more frustrating than before service.  Families are ready to see their kids...ready to go eat...ready to get home.

Monitor this.  How long are parents having to wait to get their child?  Are there lines?  Are parents getting impatient?

One way you can shorten pick-up time is by being prepared for service to be out.  Have someone keep you informed about how far along the adult service is so you can know when to wrap up.  Have someone give you a 10-minute and 5-minute warning.  When parents are arriving is not the time to start organizing take-home papers or start wrapping up the lesson.  Have everything wrapped up and ready before the first parent comes to the door. 

Another way is you can shorten the pick-up time in preschool is by placing the take home papers outside the classroom.  We have created "clothes lines" on the wall outside the door and this where we hang them for parents.

Honoring ratios and room capacities is another important factor in cutting down pick-up time.  If a room is overcrowded, the pick-up time will naturally be longer.  Make sure you maintain a proper volunteer-to-child ratio as well as honoring room capacities.

A few weeks ago, I timed how long it took parents to pick-up their 4-year-olds at one of our campuses.  It took 6 1/2 minutes from the back of the line to the door.  That is not good.  The big reason was we didn't have the other 4-year-old room open.  Hence the long wait.  We have corrected this and last week I timed the same room and it was down to 3 1/2 minutes.  Better...but I'm hoping to get it down to 2 minutes or less.

It's important to remember that people decide in the first 8 minutes of they are going to come back to your church or not.   You don't want them spending those first 8 minutes waiting in line.

Here's 25 pieces of advice for KidMin Leaders.  My prayer is it will be a help and encouragement to you and your ministry.

1. Ask more questions than you give answers.

2. Surround yourself with people that you want to be like.  You will become like the people you spend time with.

3. Spend more time equipping others for ministry than doing ministry yourself.

4. Keep re-casting the vision.  Vision cast yesterday that is not revisited today will be forgotten tomorrow.

5. Focus on doing a few things well.  Less truly is more.

6. Be a servant leader.  People don't follow a title...they follow someone they know cares about them.

7. Your most important ministry is your family.  Let your schedule reflect this.

8. Never make important decisions alone.

9. Do the small things well.  Excellence is found in the details.

10. Say "thank you" to your volunteers every week.

11. You will get hurt in ministry.  Don't get bitter or try to get even.

12. Don't focus on being successful.  Focus on being faithful.

13. Great teams are built one person at a time.  Invite people to join your team every single week.

14. Never stop growing.  Always be reading, asking questions and stretching.

15. Always be thinking about how you can influence parents.  If you really want to change a child's life, you have to influence his or her parents.

16. Provide first-time guests with an exceptional experience and they will return.

17. One of the best things you can develop is your people skills.

18. Focus on being "productive" rather than being "busy."

19. Evaluate...evaluate...evaluate...all the time.

20. Stay humble.  Always be aware of what you still don't know.

21. Find a pace you can maintain for the long haul.  It's a marathon, not a sprint.

22. Find your identity in Christ, not in your ministry.

23. Learn to lead adults.  You can't succeed in children's ministry if you can't lead adults.

24. Make change a process instead of a surprise.  Bring people along.  Timing is everything.

25. Your passion will determine the passion level of the ministry.  Lead the way.

Your turn.  What other advice would you give children's ministry leaders?  Share with everyone in the comment section below.

Guests will return based on how you treat them and make them feel on their first visit.  Here's 10 ways to have first-time guests smiling when they come to your church.

Give them premiere parking.  However you decide to make it happen, give them the best parking spot.  When you do this, they'll open their car door already in a good mood.  Think about the last time you lucked out and got a good parking spot in a crowded lot.  How did you feel?

Have a separate check-in area for them that is fast and efficient.  Instead of making them wait in a line, give them the VIP check-in treatment.  Their happy factor is now quickly escalating.

Smile.  Smile.  Smile.  Smile.  There's a reason this is one of the rules Disney employees have to follow.  You have to have smiles to create the happiest place on earth.

Walk them to their destination.  Instead of pointing or giving them directions, personally walk them to their destination.  This not only makes them feel like a VIP, but it also gives you an opportunity to implement the next happy factor.

Talk to them.  Make sure you have engaging, happy people on your check-in team that are good at making small talk and making guests feel comfortable.  Ask general questions about their family without coming across as a used car salesman.  Here's a tool you can use to instantly become better at talking to guest families.

Give them a gift.  Present them with a small gift to remember their visit by.  And if you really want to make them happy, you can take it to a whole new level by doing what is mentioned in this post.  

Explain your safety and security system.  Parents want to know their kids are going to be safe in your care, so make sure you explain your safety and security measures.  This will reassure them and make them feel more at ease about leaving their child with you.

Provide them with a pager.  If you want to make young couples with babies/preschoolers happy, then provide them with a pager.  Let them know you will page them if any issues arise or they are needed.  Ask them if their child does start crying, how long they want you to wait before paging them.  Some will say "5 minutes" and some will say "10 minutes."  This proactive measure reassures parents and takes the guessing out of it.

Give them the option to remain anonymous.  Most people want to remain somewhat anonymous on their first visit.  Honor this by not putting them in situations where they have no choice such as having members sit down and guests remain standing, having them stand up and say their name, etc.

Greet them when they are leaving.  Many churches do a great job at greeting guests when they arrive but neglect to greet them as they are leaving.  Have your greeters at the doors after service and engage guests by saying things like, "thank you for coming" and "have a great week" and "see you soon."

Your turn.  The floor is yours.  What are some other ways to make guests happy?

One of the best ways to improve your ministry is by getting feedback.  Here's 4 proven ways to gather it.

SECRET SHOPPER
Ask someone with fresh eyes, preferable someone outside your church, to evaluate the ministry while it's in action.  Give him or her a checklist of things to look for including friendliness, drop-off and pick-up times, lesson engagement, safety and security, way finding signage, volunteer-to-child ratios, room capacities, guest services and more.  Don't tell anyone the person is coming, so you can get an honest evaluation.

SURVEYS
Surveys are a great way to gather feedback from guests, parents and volunteers.

These can be done at church by handing parents a hard copy survey at drop-off and asking them to return it at pick-up.  Another way to do surveys is by using a free online tool like Surveymonkey.

Here's more information about how to conduct surveys effectively.

The Importance of Feedback
First-Time Guest Survey Letter
4 Areas to Include In Your Online Survey

If you want truly honest feedback, make the surveys anonymous.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media can be used to track how well you're connecting with families and volunteers.  Posts that get likes will show you what families and volunteers really value about the ministry.  Comments can provide feedback.

FOCUS GROUPS
Focus groups are a proven way to gather feedback.  Here's more information about how to set up focus groups.

Parent Focus Groups
Kids Focus Groups

What should you do with the feedback once you've gathered it?   In this post, I share a process for this. 

The floor is yours.  Are you using any of these proven tools to gather feedback for your ministry?  What are some other ways you gather feedback?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

The experience guests have on their first visit is the biggest determining factor if they will return or not.  You can "follow up" all you want, but if they have a bad first experience, the chances of them returning is slim to none.

There's a tool that Disney uses to create great experiences for families.  The tool is comprised of 4 elements.  They call it a compass since the letters correspond with the four directions of a compass.

N - Needs
S - Stereotypes
E - Emotions
W - Wants

Below is a tool I've created for this strategy.  You can work through this with your team to craft a great experience for your guests.  The more of the four elements you can meet, the better the chance they will return.

Here are the instructions for using the tool.  I've listed some examples under each one.  You'll want to come up with your own lists which reflect your unique culture and church situation.

N - Needs
Identify and list the basic needs your first-time guests have.  These are the bare minimums that you should provide people with.

• get their kids signed in 
• be shown where to go
• know pick-up procedures
• __________________
• __________________
• __________________ 

Steps to accomplish:

• have an easy, clear check-in process for new families
• have clear signage
• explain pick-up procedures
• _________________
• _________________
• _________________

S - Stereotypes
Identify the negative, preconceived ideas people may have when they walk in the door.  How can you overcome these?

• churches are judgmental
• churches are boring
• churches aren't friendly places
• churches only want my money
• no one will really care about me and my family
• __________________
• __________________
• __________________

Steps to accomplish:

• place friendly people on greeter team
• make it clear giving is for members and not guests
• have an exciting service that will engage kids and parents
• __________________
• __________________
• __________________

E - Emotions
Emotions are more powerful than logic when it comes to decisions.  People will remember how you made them feel more than anything.  What emotions do you want people to experience?  How can you create an environment that fosters these emotions?

• comfortable
• welcomed
• accepted
• secure
• honored
• _________________
• _________________
• _________________

Steps to accomplish:

• have greeters that represent all seasons of life
• place people as greeters who know how to make guests feel comfortable
• train greeter team what to say and not to say
• give parents a pager and let them know you will connect with them if there are any issues
• _________________
• _________________
• _________________

W - Wants
This is an opportunity to create the "wow" factor by going above and beyond the needs that people are expecting you to meet.  When you provide this, you differentiate yourself and give families more reason to return.

• greeted at door
• quick service
• walked to classroom
• someone to take a personal interest in them
• _________________
• _________________
• _________________

Steps to accomplish:

• have greeters at every door
• have a separate check-in area for guests
• always walk people to their room
• find out something about their family and mention it in a handwritten thank you note
• __________________
• __________________
• __________________ 

If you'd like a copy of this infograph as a .jpg, feel free to email me at dalehudsoncm2@gmail.com.

If you don't think numbers matter, you need to take another look at Scripture.  There was a lot of counting going on.

• Jesus feed 5,000 men.
• Jesus healed 10 lepers.
• The widow gave 2 mites.
• Jesus told parables that used specific numbers.
• There were 120 in the upper room.
• 3,000 were saved on the day of Pentecost.
• Jesus sent out 72 disciples.

I could go on and on with the instances of numbers being counted in Scripture.  I believe numbers should matter to us, because numbers matter to God.

The number of people you are reaching matters.
The number of kids who are attending matters.
The number of people you are baptizing matters.
The number of people in your community who don't know Jesus matters.
The number of kids you are discipling matters.
The number of first-time guest that are coming matters.
The number of guests that are returning matters.
The number of babies you are dedicating matters.
The number of parents you are equipping matters.
The number of volunteers who are serving matters.

You should be counting and looking at these numbers every week.   Those who say they don't count numbers are normally using it as an excuse to hide their laziness, lack of outreach and ineffective ministry.

Remember...behind every number is a person with a story.  Numbers matter because of the people they represent. 

50 years ago, Walt Disney was developing an experimental audio-animatronic Tiki Bird for his newest attraction...the Enchanted Tiki Room.

As he met with his developers, he watched the bird blink, move and sing.  He was excited, but there was one thing he felt was missing.  The Tiki Bird wasn't programmed to breathe.

His team had a good answer:  The circuits, valves and pumps made it difficult to add an element that hardly anyone would notice.  If the bird was breathing, and 99% of the audience would likely never notice, would it make a difference?  One of the Imagineers said to Walt, "People are not going to get this.  This is too much perfection."

Walt listened to the team and then shared a lesson that is one of the secrets of The Walt Disney Company's success.  "People can feel perfection."  Quality is the imperceptible things that guests might not even know they see.  But "devotion to detail lets guests know that they're worth the effort."

Any area that families come in contact with you is an area that you must be committed to excellence in.  This includes...

• First-time guest experience
• Check in / check out
• Music
• Facilities
• Programming
• Correspondence by phone or email
• Classes
• Decor
• Cleanliness
• Signage

Your commitment to excellence in these and other areas will determine your success.  Show me a great children's ministry and I'll show you a ministry that does the small details well.  Yes...success is found in the details.

There are things first-time guests hate to do at church.  If you are asking them to do any of these, you may be unknowingly pushing them away and causing them to not return.

1. People hate waiting in line.  
Are you asking first-time guests to wait in line?  How long are they having to wait in line to register?  How long are they having to wait to drop off their kids at the classroom?  How long are they having to wait to pick-up their kids?

Solution

• Have a separate check-in area for first-time guests.
• Monitor your drop off and pick up lines.  If the line starts backing up, be prepared to open another line.

 2. People hate not knowing where to go.
You know what it's like.  You're in a big store...looking for an item...no help in sight...without a clue about where to find it.  It's very frustrating.  Asking people to navigate your church without any signage or personal help has the same affect on people.

Solution

• Have clear signage.
• Always walk people to their class, room, etc. instead of telling them where to go.

3. Being ignored. 
Ever been alone at a party or event and you didn't know anyone?  Everyone is engaged in conversation.  It becomes very awkward as you struggle to connect with someone.  People feel that same awkwardness when they walk into church and are not greeted or acknowledged.

Solution

• Have greeters at every door.  Pick the right people for this roles.  They should be friendly and have the ability to make people feel welcome and comfortable.
• Don't just greet people at the door.  Have hosts that will engage guests in conversation beyond the door and get them connected to other people who will make them feel at home.

4. Being singled out as a guest.

People want to be welcomed, but not embarrassed.  I've seen churches have guests remain standing after a song is over or worse yet, have them stand up and introduce themselves.  Unless they are a politician running for office, they hate this.

Solution

• Make guests feel welcome privately, but don't single them out or recognize them publicly. 
• Be friendly, but don't be so friendly they feel like they are being asked to buy a car by a used car salesman.

5. Not being able to find a good parking spot or having to settle for a crummy parking spot. 
We all get frustrated driving around a parking lot trying to find a spot.  The opposite is true when we find a great parking spot.  We experience a rush of relief and happiness.  The same is true for people who pull into your church parking lot.

Solution

• Ask staff and key volunteers to take the worst parking spots and save the best parking spots for first-time guests.
• Have reserved parking for first-time guests. 

Your turn.  What are some other things people hate doing at church?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

What is your strategy for getting first-time guest families to return?

This is one of the most important strategies your children's ministry can focus on.

We recently implemented a new tweak in our strategy for connecting with first-time guest families and we are seeing great results.

I got the idea for the new tweak from my friend, Carolyn Burge, who is the children's director at a great church in Canada.  If you haven't checked out her website Kidsministryleadership.com, do so.  She has lots of great ideas.

So here's our strategy.  In step #4, I'll tell you about the new tweak we've added that's making a big difference . 

#1 - We have a guest services team that helps new families check in.  This team is made up of volunteers.  Make sure you pick people for this team who are friendly, outgoing, positive, and know how to make new people feel welcome and comfortable.

#2 - We have separate check-in areas for first-time families.  We don't want new families having to wait in line.  We also moved these out from behind a desk and put them at tables so we can greet people more personally.  Here's an example of two of them.























#3 - After we get the family registered, we personally walk them to their rooms.  This is a biggee.  Always walk...never point.

#4 - Here's the new tweak we've added that I want to tell you about.  After we've helped the new family get to their rooms, the guest service volunteer who helped them writes a personal note to the family.

In the note, the guest service volunteer mentions something unique that he/she noticed about the family.  Maybe a cute haircut one of the kids had, maybe the way the preschooler smiled, maybe the town they just moved from, etc.

This lets the family know that we took the time to notice them personally.  In the note, the guest services volunteer also tells them know how much he/she enjoyed meeting them and hopes to see them again soon.  This gives the new family a personal connection with someone.  This is huge.

The guest services volunteer then gives the note to us before he/she leaves and we mail it to the family that week.

I would also mention that our guest services volunteers are fired up about doing this.  It is such a blessing to them to be able to write the notes to families they meet.  It has taken their ministry experience to a whole new level.  They can't wait to see the families come back because they have made a personal investment in them.

We provide the postcards for the volunteers to write the personal note on.  There is a space for the note on the postcard.

The postcard also has a coupon they can bring back for a free t-shirt on their next visit.  Below is a picture of the front and back of the postcard.   On the back, you will see the space where the personal note is written.



















In closing, I would like to mention two other things.  First, a personal handwritten note is a huge deal in today's culture of digital communication.  A personal note stands out and means so much more than a letter, email, or text. 

The other thing I would add is this.  In addition to this, the kids of the guest family also get a handwritten postcard from our leaders in the kid's areas.  For a kid to get a postcard in the mail is a double big deal.

Whatever your strategy is...make it personal...nothing impacts a family more than a personal touch from someone who welcomed them and cared for them.

Looking to improve the experience first-time guests have when they walk through your church doors?

Here's 5 key areas to focus on.  Use the questions to evaluate where you are and then create actions steps out of your answers.

RELIABILITY
Is our check-in system and process consistent?

Is our level of service consistent or up and down based on which volunteers show up?

Are we always ready to receive families at the scheduled check-in time?  For example, if that is 10:00 am, are there times when we are not ready until 10:05 or 10:10?

If you have more than one weekend service, is the level of service reliable and consistent across all services?

Do we earn the trust of families?

What are some steps we can take to become more reliable?
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________

ASSURANCE
Do volunteers have the skills and knowledge needed to deliver a good first experience for families?

Do our volunteers need any further training or development ?

What are some steps we can take to give our volunteers the assurance they need to succeed?
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________

TANGIBLES
Is our signage clear and easy to understand?

Do we have reserved parking for guests?

Is the equipment we use to check-in people in good working condition?

Are our facilities clean and well maintained?

What are some tangibles that we need to add, remove or adjust to deliver a good first experience for families?
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________

EMPATHY
Do we express genuine care and concern for our guests?

Do we have empathy for guests and bend guidelines to accommodate them when needed? (besides safety and security)

Do we take time to see the guest's point of view?

How can we be more empathetic with our first-time guests?
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________

RESPONSIVENESS
Do we provide a prompt, easy check-in / registration process?

Do we seek out and respond to feedback?

Are we willing to go the second mile to make first-time guest families feel welcome?

Do we resolve issues and conflicts in a timely, peaceful and patient manner?

How can we be more responsive to our first-time guests?
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________

Each Friday, we'll be sharing one bright idea for Children's Ministry.

These will be practical, high-impact ideas that you can immediately put to use in your ministry.

Here's this week's bright idea...

Have an after party for first-time guest families after your weekend services. 

When guest families check-in before service, invite them to a brief after party that will take place after the service.

Have it in an easy-to-access, highly visible location.  Have someone directing them to the location  Have staff and key volunteers in the room.  Have light food or snacks.

Make it brief.  Let them come and go as they please.  The main purpose is to connect with your guests and jump start building a relationship with them.

Have information about your ministry and simple next steps they can take to get connected.

If you'll do this, you'll retain a lot more of your first-time guests and see them get connected into your ministry.

Got a bright idea?  We'd love to share your idea here next Friday.  Just email it to dalehudsoncm2@gmail.com.  One idea will be shared each week.