It’s the one thing all churches can do to reach more people, but it’s one thing most churches give little attention.
Most churches can take five simple steps to create and/or improve their greeters’ ministry and potentially see dramatic results. Let me give you a simple example of the potential impact.
A church of 200 in worship attendance may get 150 first-time guests in a year. Can you imagine the transformation that would take place if one-half of those guests connected with the church and became a part of the congregation? The church of 200 in attendance would become a church of 275 in attendance – in one year!
In our surveys of first-time guests, we hear repeatedly that one of the keys that caused them to return was a friendly first impression. Like it or not, it’s often a make or break issue for the guest.
So how can you be certain that your greeters are doing everything possible to provide an incredible first-time impression? Here are five “best practices” where churches have dynamic greeter ministries, and where the return rate of guests is high.
- Train your greeters. Most church greeters have had no training, and it is often painfully obvious. The simple process of training makes a dramatic difference in this ministry. Here is a link to the training we provide at LifeWay.
- Create alternating teams of greeters. I recommend greeters serve in their place of ministry every other month. The rotation helps them keep a fresh perspective and avoid burnout. Of course, a greeter in the “off” cycle can fill in for another greeter when needed.
- Treat the ministry as a major ministry of the church. In some churches, the greeters’ ministry has second-class status. Those churches that are highly effective in retaining first-time guests understand the importance of this ministry. The leaders recruit highly-competent and highly-motivated church members for it.
- Make visits to other churches a regular part of the greeters’ training. I recommend greeters attend a different church about once a quarter. They should write down their experiences, good and bad, to share with others in the greeters’ ministry.
- Have quarterly greeters’ meetings. The primary purpose of this meeting is to hear about the visits to other churches. It is not a meeting just for the sake of meeting.
I am asked regularly about the most effective ways to reach people in churches. Most churches have not made a significant commitment in training and resourcing greeters. That one simple but significant step could make a huge difference in the numbers reached for the gospel each year.
Share with me what you have learned about greeters’ ministries, good or bad. What do you think of the five keys I named? What would you add?
Tom,
1. I believe the attire of the greeters also sets a tone for the formality or informality of the church.
2. The age of the greeters can also give an impression of whether this is an older congregation or a mixture of ages.
3. I have also found that having a team of male and female greeters at the door creates a more welcoming atmosphere.
Great points, Jerry. Thank you.
This area can make or break it with visitors.
At a previous church we had husband, wife teams that rotated.
Currently we utilize the oldest gentlemen in church who can still stand some of whom can barely open a door. These dear gents need to feel needed and we keep a current usher nearby. It is often a neglected area. I have visited churches with no greeter or usher. That is a problem.
You on are on target, Russ b
We’ve just moved to another state. Of course we’ve been looking for a church home. We are former NAMB missionaries and I am an ordained gospel evangelist. So we ARE “broken in.” At least three churches we have visited were so unfriendly, we will not go back. Obviously, the greeters had no training, and if they accidentally smiled their faces would have broken. I am so disappointed. Not only the greeters need training, but also the entire church.
You are right, Van.
Are the greeter training videos from Lifeway the same as those on ministry grid?
Yes.
The suggestion to visit other churches caught me by surprise, but as I think about it, this is brilliant! Maybe having a list or checklist of observations/questions to prep the greeters would be effective. Hospitality is a passion of mine. The picture that comes to my mind is that Jesus is waiting with bated breath for each heart to walk through the door to meet with him. He is waiting to bear burdens, to heal broken hearts, to equip the saints for each encounter they will face in the coming week. Greeters are the frontline of hospitality, the first face of this Jesus a person will encounter. This encounter will begin to prepare the heart of each person to receive from Him. Love your blog.
We provided a “mystery guest” check list, Mary Ellen. And thanks for the affirmation.
Do you still have the “Mystery guest” check list? If so, email me at david@rainsvillefirst.com.
I would love a copy of the Mystery guest check list also.
wwjd7485@gmail.com Thanking you in advance Karen Larson Northshore Church Slidell, Louisiana
In will also like ti be sent a copy of “Mystery Guest Check List
Can I have a copy as well?
TeamSims82@gmail.com
Can I get a copy as well please
Can I get a copy as well?? jayrbush@aol.com
I would also love a “mystery guest” checklist.
Antiochbrandon@gmail.com
me too!
dyanmark@me.com
me too!
guitargirlttu@hotmail.com
I love that a blog post from 4 years ago is still getting hits!
I lead our FIT (First Impression Team) and would love the check list as well dl_tarbell@yahoo.com
@Maryellen I hope you don’t mind but I’ve literally cut and paste your quote and will be using it at a thank you open house for our greeters next week. It speaks directly to what I wanted to thank them & encourage them in
I would like a copy. Please and thank you.
@Mary Ellen:
Yours are some of the finest observations I have ever read on this blog. Thank you for sharing your insights into the fact that greeters are often the first face of Jesus that visitors will see.
I agree, Ron.
Is it sad that we have to train people to smile and be hospitable ?
To welcome new faces at the door and show them where things are with a friendly welcome ?
I’m so glad you posted this. I consistently refuse to receive a bulletin from one of our greeters until he smiles at me. I just stand there until this old guy cracks a smile. Now he knows that if he doesn’t have to smile at anyone else he does have to smile at me or there will be a back log of folks trying to get into the sanctuary. You’re right. First impressions are huge and I need more than a piece of paper from these people.
Some people look, act like they had a fight before coming to church.
If they’re that miserable please get counseling and let Jesus into your life !
Thanx for the work. It is true you feel small and disappointed stepping in a church were there is unqualified greeters, even in our homes it shows a lack of discipline.
I had the chance to do some research on what churches were like near here before I moved because it took so long to sell my old home. I went to a Christmas special at one and despite the best efforts of the minister’s wife I felt somewhat out of place.
The following year I went to a different church in the area on Christmas Day. I had not been there before and it was even an adventure finding it. One reason why I like to see a picture of a church and directions or a map on a church website. Remember a website can be an electronic greeter.
I knew no one but by the time I left I was in no doubt that when I landed in the area a few days later that that would be my new church home. It was not just the greeter but everyone was so friendly and welcoming that I knew that it was the place for me.
As transplants to a new city, we have become professional visitors over the past few months. Having been the “visitors’ police” at my former church, I confess to being hospitality-minded so this is my playing field. To be honest, I’ve been shocked at the lack of friendliness in many churches. Visitors are, right or wrong, assessing the church as to whether or not they “fit in” or see the potential to connect and make friends. I would suggest, however, that it’s not the greeters that are evaluated as much as the congregation itself. Personalities differ but a gesture as simple as a friendly smile and handshake can go a long way. Most churches have a time of greeting and many pastors encourage congregants to “find someone you don’t know and shake their hand”. Do that!!! If someone raised their hand or otherwise identified himself as a visitor, he should have to fight off a crowd of people trying to greet him. Visiting churches has been very eye-opening for us. We’ve been in church all our lives so we know church families can be very warm & welcoming, but it has really given me insight into how an unchurched person would feel in the unfriendly church. In many cases, if that visit had been my first exposure to church, it would’ve probably been my last. If a visitor is made to feel as an outsider to a club, we may never get a 2nd opportunity to reach him. It starts at the front door, yes, but the most important piece of the puzzle is the friendliness of the people in the pew.
It seems greeters can easily become members talking to each other, and losing an opportunity to truly connect.
As far as training, it is frustrating when greeters can not answer basic questions. Such as, where’s the nursery, where are the Sunday school classes for a certain age group, etc.. A thorough knowledge of these should be required.
Great job, Thom, as always.
I am involved in guest ministry at the Journey in Murray, Kentucky. We place a high value on the ministry of our greeters and guest ministry in general. We regularly hear how the way that one of our greeters welcomed a first time guest impacted the guest’s perceptions of the Journey as a church. It prompted the guest to return for another visit.
We do not , however, settle for making them feel welcome the first time they visit but every time they attend a worship gathering or other function of the Journey even after they become a regular attender. I
I not only believe that it is important to inculcate in greeters and others involved in guest ministry an attitude of cordiality, friendliness, generosity, graciousness, helpfulness, warmth, and welcome toward guests but all attenders of a particular church and foster in that church a culture that embodies all these qualities. In our ministry team meetings on Sunday mornings we remind members of the team that each person whom God brings to the Journey is a representative of Christ and we ourselves are representatives of Christ. We should welcome them as we would welcome Christ and as Christ would welcome them.
Thank you for what you shared. I am chair of our greeters at my church. I am ask God and others to help me to have the greeters at our church the best that God will have them and I to be. Your insight helped a lot. Wish we could stay in touch. I’m in texas
what are the role of Greeter in a church, i would like to have more understanding of their role please?
I coordinate the greeter team at my congregation and just discovered this site…great help! Please include me!
Feel free to subscribe to our daily resource, Fran. It’s free.
Several years I wrote a manual to assist churches in establishing a successful Greeting & Welcoming Ministry We make it along with other great resources available free to all churches on our CAA Ministries website. http://caaministries.org
Here is a direct link to the Greeting & Welcoming Ministry Manual.
http://bit.ly/greetingministry
Shortly after I started a church in Canada, a 60-something lady joined We didn’t have official greeters at the time, so she took it upon herself and immediately went to work. She made a point to greet everybody as they came in. She was so warm and friendly that she made everybody happy to be in church. It made a huge difference. Whenever I visited our church visitors, they would always comment about her. Our church was small, but it was growing rapidly. I know she had a big part in our growth.
They will forget the sermon. They will forget the music. But they will never forget how your people made them feel when they came to your church.
This blog entry focuses on how greeters should welcome first time guests, but not everybody who attends a church service is a first time guest and they should not be treated as one. The greeter ministry may be the first line in welcoming people into a church’s community, and is very important, but when it treats everybody the same it can also be a hindrance to building that community. While, as the studies show, the way a first time visitor is welcomed at a church can have a huge impact on whether they choose to become a part of that church or not, treating long time members the same as first time guests can stifle the development of community. When you are effusively greeted multiple times like you are a first time visitor by people who know you have been a part of that church for years, it doesn’t make you feel welcomed, it comes across as artificial and that they are just doing their job. This doesn’t bring the two closer together, it keeps a distance between them. In larger churches where everybody doesn’t know everybody else this can’t be avoided sometimes, but it is something those involved in greeter ministries should keep in mind. If you know the person personally or recognize them as a member don’t follow the script you were taught in greeter training, greet them the way you would a friend, not like you would a total stranger. Building community is not just about being friendly, but treating each other as friends. Churches can become so caught up in “vision statements”, “value statements” and “ministry prerogatives” and sticking to their programs, no matter what, that they can forget that they are dealing with real people, not just demographic profiles. People want to be treated as individuals, not as profiles, whether they are guests or members.
I firmly agree that greeters need training. I go to a large church. I went to life group and skipped church to go to a funeral.
A greeter made a sarcastic comment to me as I was leaving. He had no idea about the circumstances. My emotions were already high and so the comment really did a number on my day. It was loud enough to be heard across the parking lot. I hope no first time visitors heard it.
I generally avoid greeters when I come to church because most of them seem very insincere.
We’ve recently implemented a new idea for meeting guests, but also ensuring we get contact info. Our worship guide has a traditional tear-off strip to collect names, addresses, etc., but instead of asking guests to fill it out and place it in the offering plate, we request they fill it out and drop it off at our guest reception table (pointing to the area) at the end of the service, to give us a chance to personally greet them and give them a small gift from our church. We fill a plastic cup (containing our church name and logo) with a pen, magnet, bookmark and notepad, all containing contact info for the church. We add a snack baggie with a few cookies as well. This has increased our getting contact info, and also gives us a chance to chat briefly with guests, and invite them to come again soon.
I enjoyed reading the comments. There is another demographic out there, one that is easily misunderstood and not usually addressed in greeter training. It consists of those quiet and/or wounded people who cannot endure more than a gentle smile and a “Hi”.
They come to sit in the back. They come to hear Jesus. Some are terrified of crowds. Some are terrified of being hugged or even touched. Some are terrified of being singled out. Some are so full of grief, regret, shame or guilt that they want only to be left alone so they can be washed in the Word and be comforted by their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Greeters need to be sensitive to this demographic also — as well as to those on the other end of the spectrum who are greatly offended if they are not hugged and given much love and attention.
Greeting is a God-given art. Greeters need spiritual maturity to be able to sense the needs of newcomers as well as the needs of the regular worshippers and the fallen-away. Any of the dear people in these groups may need less greeting or more greeting.
May God bless all greeters with wisdom to carry out their calling to make it easier for everyone to hear Jesus.
Amen
B.A., I have been asked, by my pastor, to become a greeter for our congregation, so I began to search for the descriptions for this position/assignment. I love people and I am a hugger by nature.
Your comment struck my heart! It is so true that these sensitive souls need to have a greeting that is so tailored to their needs. In most cases, less is enough.
The spirit of God will have to lead, especially in these cases, so more damage is not done. Thank you for that! It was no coincidence that I saw your comment.
I would like to get literature for church greeters for training purposes.
Thank you for these points. I am a surviving stroke woman. Joining the greeters ministry. I am excited at the same time nervous. I use a walker to get around, but I want to do all I can for God’s kingdom. Like you I believe the greeter is the most important person for a visitor or someone who has fallen from grace. I am going to put your points to use and share with other greeters. Thank you
Greeter points and suggestions are great! Where can I get the greeter information, handbooks, etc.
I have been a greeter for many years at my church & this past week our lead stepped down & I was given the lead. We have a fantastic team & all of these posts have give me ideas to re-direct and boost our team. Thank you all so much for your input.
Boa noite! estou no Brasil e encontrei este site através de um poste feito por um profissional de markting,sobre recepçao de igreja.
Meu irmão, preciso apresentar uma proposta de uma recepção mas organizada e comprometida, para meu pastor… pois estamos com muitas deficiências na parte organizacional EX: seleção, treinamento conscientização da função ,hierarquias, enfim! teria algum material elaborado para treinamento?
gostei bastante das dicas! mas preciso de algo mas elaborado para treinamento… se o senhor tiver, e puder me ajudar,
vou ficar grata pela ajuda.
at.
Translation of the above:
Good evening! I’m in Brazil and I found this site through a post made by a markting professional about church reception.
My brother, I need to present a proposal for a more organized and committed reception for my pastor … because we have many shortcomings in the EX organizational part: selection, training, awareness of the function, hierarchies, anyway! would you have any material developed for training?
I really liked the tips! but I need something more elaborate for training … if you have, and you can help me,
I’ll be grateful for the help.
Do you have anything available for free referencing the greeters training? $97 for overbooked not what I expected when clicking on the link above.
Thank you kindly!
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this blog and all the comments!!! I have learned so much and truly want to be an effective, Godly Greeter. Thank you for this site. 😍
I would also like a copy of the check list. Thanks
Hello,
I would love to have a copy of the check list.
Thank you
shakie78@sbcglobal.net
See my response to Drew.
I do not see a response to Drew anywhere. Is there a link to the checklist please? Thank you.
This is a very good resource. Thank you! Would you please email me the “mystery guest” check list?
God Bless!
Very helpful. God bless you. Please send it on email.
Thanks.
God bless ou.
Dear Pastor Thom Rainer,
Thank you for those points above, I am in Vietnam, I am preparing the document for Greeters training course at our ministry. I read all your comment and found they are very helpful for me. I you need document concerning to the Greeters skill training, please attach to my email lisaluong1176@gmail.com , thank you in advance. God bless you all.