Mugging Your First Time Visitors
Susan Bell is the Director of Guest Services
Many of our churches experience higher worship attendance during Lent as new people, disengaged church members, and unchurched people anticipate Easter. They may have been brought up in a faith that practiced Lent and feel that they need to get back to the roots of their faith. They may be a non-believer who’s was invited by a neighbor to join them in worship. For whatever reason they choose to attend, your church should be prepared and equipped to follow up with your first time visitors in a way that prepares and inspires them to take the next step in their journey of faith.
At Church of the Resurrection following up begins with delivering coffee mugs to first-time visitors. It has been a priority since the beginning of our church. Our Senior Pastor personally delivered all the mugs following worship during the first five years. He made a point to meet the visitors, get to know their stories and welcome them by name the next time they visited. This was a powerful way to make a connection and impact on someone’s spiritual life. When our Senior Pastor remembered their name on their next visit, they were very likely to join the church. Since the time our Senior Pastor began delivering coffee mugs to visitors our mug ministry has evolved into a team of people that continues this practice of follow up and outreach.
Of course, every church is different in the ways in which they follow up and reach out to visitors. However we have discovered that implementing a mug ministry is something that any size church can do. A coffee mug is a tangible reminder of their visit. Unlike bread or cookies, the mug remains in the visitor’s home for a long time.
If someone has visited your church and has registered their attendance with you, timely follow up is crucial. It shows your church cares about them and wants them to be connected. If you don’t have a mug ministry, consider starting one this Lent. The following are a few steps to help you get started.
First, a custom imprinted coffee mug with your church name, phone number and/or web site is important. The imprint should be simple and reflect only the basic information on the church. Because Church of the Resurrection uses the same coffee mug as a thank you gift to members who turn in their annual stewardship pledge card, the mugs are dated each year. Using the mugs for both purposes allows us to buy them in a higher quantity, and enjoy lower bulk pricing.
Depending on the volume of visitors, it helps to break down the process into bite-sized pieces. Recruit volunteers to:
- Come during the week to stuff the mugs with current information on your church. We include a simple note-card size paper that provides our Connections Ministry contact information. The Connection Point is a central place where those brand new to your church can go to get information. Our Connections Ministry serves as the conduit to ensure all requests about connecting into ministry are delegated to the appropriate area and followed up on timely.
- Input first-time visitor attendance information into a computer mapping system. The maps are put into the mug to assist the delivery volunteer.
- Deliver the mugs to the visitor. Your “muggers” should have clear guidelines to follow. At Church of the Resurrection, we see this opportunity as a way to say thank you for visiting, and to invite the guests to visit again. The “muggers” are instructed that this is to be a very quick and casual encounter They simply knock on the door, introduce themselves as being from Church of the Resurrection and quickly say, “ I don’t want to come in, but I am bringing you this mug to let you know how much we appreciated you visiting and we hope you come back. Is there any question I can answer for you today?” If there are no questions, they thank them again, and leave. Remember, the guest may be very new to the faith or not familiar with the faith at all, and it is important to make them feel comfortable. If the visitor is not at home, the mugs are left near the visitor’s door with a short handwritten note
Occasionally, I’m asked if people are offended when we come to their door. It’s actually quite the opposite. This ministry sets the tone for how you welcome people into your church. People are happy and often surprised that someone would take the time to visit their home. Leaving an impression such as this opens the door to allow your church to reach their hearts and plant the seeds that can help them grow deeper in their faith. Make a commitment this Lent to find a way to follow-up with your first time visitors and see what happens as a result of these connections.
Susan Bell oversees the Guest Services Ministry at Church of the Resurrection. She can be reached at susan.bell@cor.org. More information about our first time visitor and follow-up strategies is included in our new resource CATCH: Attracting and Connecting Visitors.