How to Spot the New Family

It’s the eyes. Do you want to know the secret of spotting the new family the first time they come to your church? Watch the eyes. New eyes are always timid, unsure, hesitant. Their steps don’t have the purposed gait of someone who knows where they’re going. If you spot a nervous, deer-in-the-headlights look, then you’ve probably got a first-time guest.

To those who seek to make a good first impression, to those who are practiced and intentional about welcoming first-timers, knowing this can make all the difference. A few Sundays ago I was walking outside of our building about ten minutes before our first service started. Out in the parking lot I saw a family I didn’t recognize, pouring out of their van with mom, dad, and four kids in tow. They had ‘the look.’ They were unsure of where to go, taking hesitant steps. They began to make their way to the first building door they saw, our Commons Area.

I intercepted them about fifteen seconds after they got out of the car, before they made out of the parking lot. I simply asked if they knew where they were going and if I could help them find anything. They (surprise surprise) told me that this was their first time to our church. So I walked them in and helped them get their kids checked into our children’s environment.

In the days that followed, we received multiple emails from them, thanking us for our hospitality and helpfulness in getting them where they needed to be. They said that they’ve found their church home and that they’ll be coming every week.

Look for a new family this week. Be intentional about it. Make sure you’ve got some type of Welcome Team in the parking lot, looking for the new family. Make a great first impression. And watch them fall in love with your church!

image courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net