First-Time Guest Experience Checklist

Mar 29

A family’s first experience at your church is one of the most important opportunities to steward in ministry.

During that first visit they will decide whether to come back a second time, and eventually whether or not to get planted and make your church their home. And even more importantly than making a decision about your church, they may be deciding whether to keep attending church at all.

Some are stepping foot in a church for the first time in their lives. Some are giving church another shot after a long hiatus. Some are still healing from a previous bad experience with church. Some are in a desperate place in their life and hoping that, just maybe, they’ll find something different at church than they’ve found in the world.

The stakes are high, a relationship with God is in the balance, therefore it is vital to evaluate and calibrate every aspect of the first-time guest’s experience to be as intentional as possible. It requires consistent discipline to place ourselves in the shoes of the first-time guest. To imagine the anxieties or internal objections they may be feeling in an unknown environment. To anticipate the questions they’ll have and the needs we can meet. To remember what it was like when we were new.

This tool is designed to help you do a simple check-up of your First-Time Guest Experience. You can use this resource to regularly evaluate how well you’re doing in this area, or as a training resource for teams. And as you continue to sharpen the experience you provide for newcomers, you will see more and more people make the decision to come back, get involved and grow in their relationship with God.

Define the win

Clarify the result that our guest experience is designed to create.
Do we want first-time guests to attend a newcomer event? Do we want to capture their information so that we can follow-up? Do we simply want them to come back?
Ensure all teams fully understand the mission.
Utilize leader communication and volunteer huddles to reiterate expectations.
Calibrate your guest experience to accomplish the mission.

Parking

Do we have abundant signage in place to designate entrances? Is it obvious where to turn?
Although the color black is cool, it often blends in. Think about what colors you use and if they stand out.
Is our signage easily readable from a distance? Is the language intuitive and obvious (rather than ‘insider’ language)?
E.g. ‘VIP’ is an insider phrase that the first-time guest doesn’t understand yet.
Do we have clear signage in the parking lot specific to First-Time Guests?
E.g. “Turn on your flashers”, First-Time Guest parking area.
Are volunteers actively identifying and engaging First-Time Guests once they park?
You have worked hard to get them identified; make sure you do something with that identification.

Welcome Area

Is the welcome area clearly designated with signage specific to First-Time Guests?
Don’t assume that ‘Get Connected’ or ‘VIP’ signage makes sense to a First-Time Guest.
Does the welcome area stand out? Is it abundantly obvious?
What physical elements distinguish the welcome area and draw attention? (e.g. Banners, tents, colored table cloths, volunteers in a unique t-shirt, etc).
Is the Welcome Area optimally positioned to engage First-Time Guests as they arrive and as they exit?
Is the welcome area positioned close to the flow of traffic, or do people have to make a detour to get there?
Think about the route that a first-time guest will walk on their way in and on their way out.
Are we accounting for the weather conditions?
E.g. If it’s cold and rainy or very hot, a Welcome Area outdoors is not ideal.
If we do not have an indoor option, are we accommodating their experience as best as we can? (e.g. heaters, umbrellas, water, tents, etc).

Kids Ministry

Is our kid’s environment clear to parents and welcoming to children?
Are our safety measures clear and obvious to parents?
E.g. Closed doors and contained spaces, security personnel visible, nametags/t- shirts identifying authorized volunteers, etc.
Consider displaying a sign or giving a handout that explains our safety protocols to put parents at ease.
Is our check-in process smooth and hassle-free?
E.g. Do we have enough volunteers and stations so that lines do not form?
Do we have a plan for accommodating parents who are nervous or unable to leave their children?
E.g. Separate space for families to view the experience, nursing mothers’ space, etc.
Host new parents to see the kids’ environments and meet the volunteer who will keep their children.

Stage Communication

Is the stage host taking time in the welcome to specifically acknowledge First-Time Guests and give them instructions?
Is the stage host using plain language that is easy to understand rather than churchy or ‘insider’ language?
Is the stage host explaining what to expect and addressing potential concerns or questions?
E.g. “If you’re here for the first time, there’s no expectation for you to give today.”
E.g. “Later on in the experience, we’re going to sync up with our broadcast location and you’ll see our pastor on the screen...”
Is the stage host being clear on what to do and where to go?
“Go to the Welcome Area” is too vague. Describe where it is and how to find it.
Give First-Time Guests one clear step to take and reiterate it throughout the experience. The simpler the step, the better the response.
Is the stage host reminding First-Time Guests again at the end of the experience?
Don’t expect the Guest to remember all the instructions that were given at the beginning of the service. A quick reiteration of instructions before dismissal can be helpful.

Volunteer Interaction

On the way in

Are volunteers in place and ready to receive guests at the appropriate time, for the appropriate duration?
First-time families sometimes arrive earlier than your regular attendees or sometimes much later. It is key to be ready to receive them no matter how early or late they arrive.
Are volunteers actively moving toward the guest vs. sitting back and waiting for them to approach?
Are volunteers asking questions to identify First-Time Guests vs. simply greeting them?
Do we have a strategy for making First-Time Guests easily identifiable?
E.g. Handing them a ‘first-time’ brochure?
Are volunteers hosting First-Time Guests all the way through their experience?
Show them where restrooms are located, help them get their kids checked in, host them to their seats or introduce them to an usher.
Are volunteers instructing First-Time Guests on what to do after the worship experience (e.g. come to the Welcome Area with the blue banners)?
The stage host may give instruction, but the more times they hear it, the more likely they will act on it.

On the way out

Are volunteers moving toward First-Time Guests and ushering them to the Welcome Area?
No First-Time Guest should leave without being re-engaged.
The best case scenario is that the same volunteer who hosted them on the way in re-engages them on the way out.
Do we have enough people staffing the Welcome Area so that lines don’t form?
If people see a line and anticipate a wait, they’re likely to skip the process altogether.
Are volunteers creating meaningful conversations vs. a transaction?
E.g. Ask how their experience was, what brought them to church, where they’re from, ask about their family, ask how we can serve them.
Are volunteers collecting and verifying accurate contact information?

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