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How can we encourage an invitational culture in our churches?
What would happen if 10%, 25% or even 50% of your visitors became regular members of your congregation? Here are four resources and ideas to help your church become more welcoming and invitational.
1. SoulFoodHave you considered using the Soul Food cards at Baptism, Weddings and Funeral services? Soul Food cards are small cards to place in pews during life event services. A guest can collect the card and sign-up to recieve bite-sized messages which make connections with some of the themes of the service they have just attended. The messages are sent by email or text for seven days, with an invitation to then recieve more. Find out more by watching SoulFood's video below or visiting their website: soulfood.me | Webpage
2. A Season of InvitationA Season of Invitation began as ‘Back to Church Sunday’ in 2004, which was an annual opportunity for churches across the UK and abroad to invite people to come with them to church. Ten years on, there are five suggested invitational service to invite people to:
This simple idea is a way of cultivating an invitational culture in your church and also helps to shape services with visitors in mind. Making changes for one special service may beg the question why don’t we do that all the time?! Watch the video below to find out more. For local information contact Rich Henderson or visit Season of Invitation's website for resources and ideas: seasonofinvitation.co.uk | Webpage
3. Everybody Welcome course
The course can help to
The course is available to purchase here: chpublishing.co.uk/features/everybody-welcome | Weblink
4. 'Mystery Worshippers'
You can read existing ‘mystery worshipper’ reports to help you see your church through the eyes of a visitor by visiting: shipoffools.com/mystery | Webpage Alternatively, organise for a 'mystery worshipper' to visit your church by following these resources from Everybody Welcome:
Last updated 20 August 2020. 'Mystery Worshipper' photo by Andreas Breitling. |
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A church's welcome is communicated by everyone! Everybody Welcome is a five-session course to transform your church by improving your approach to newcomers. It will help you review your attitudes to newcomers, learn new approaches and identify areas of improvement and change.
Many people are familiar with the idea of a ‘mystery shopper’. It is a way of checking that shops are doing all they ought for the customer. The ‘mystery worshipper’ idea applies that same concept to churches.