I was just reading this, and Im reminded how important it is to make people feel welcome...especially after the service... We asked one more question in our study: When did you conclude that the church was or wasn’t a friendly church? The most frequent response surprised us. There is a 10-minute window in the 75 to 90 minutes most people spend in their first church visit, and that window is critical for the first impression of friendliness. When? It is the first 10 minutes following the service. An effective assimilation strategy will create a ‘greenhouse’ in which new relationships between newcomers and church members are nurtured. The rules are now off. The people are who they really are. And that’s when it really shows, our subjects said. A few years ago, my family and I visited Cornerstone Bible Church in Glendora, Calif., while looking for a new church following our move. At the end of the service, the pastor said to the congregation: Now, before we go, remember our three-minute rule here: No one can talk with a person they know for the first three minutes after the service. You can sit and meditate. You can leave silently. Or, you can talk with someone you don’t know. Most chose the latter. I found it a freeing experience, which allowed me to turn to a stranger and start a conversation. Our three-minute conversation lasted 15 minutes. And guess who we looked for at that church when we returned for a second visit?
Posted on: Tue, 20 May 2014 15:48:19 +0000
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