Why First-Time Visitors Never Come Back To Church

Hey, it’s Brady,

Is your church guilty of these visitor-repelling behaviors?

We've compiled real reports from church visitors detailing what scares them off.

#1. The New Visitor Spotlight

Asking visitors to stand up and identify themselves followed by a congregational handclap.

#2. Insider Jargon

Jargon can be a culture builder in a positive way. But it can also create distance between you and someone new to faith. Consider adding a brief explanation when using insider language.

#3. Forced Small Talk & Mingling

“Turn to the neighbor next to you and tell ‘em God loves them.”

#4. Unfriendly Environment

If leadership isn’t intentional about building a welcoming culture, it’s not uncommon for churches to feel a bit hostile to new folks.

#5. Inauthentic Or Incomplete Online Footprint

If your church’s website is missing beliefs, staff, and basic programming information, you might be turning away potential new visitors before they even step foot in your door.

Let’s be clear -

Every choice has tradeoffs. Just because a new visitor was turned off by something a church did doesn’t mean you need to rush to accommodate.

But don’t dismiss these critiques altogether either.

It’s important to consider the vantage point of new visitors and what we might be doing (perhaps unintentionally) to push them away.

How A Host Elevates Your Church Service

Having a host is one of my favorite ways to elevate a church service.

But what even is a host? And what do they do?

In my view, there are 7 items every church needs to know about hosting.

And if you're hesitant I've got word-for-word script options for you closer to the end of the video.

Get the answers here.

Thanks as always for your time, attention, and trust. Talk to you next Thursday. - Brady Shearer