Leadership Thought: Doing Above and Beyond to Keep Church Visitors Returning.

Dear Friend,

“In his book the Circle of Innovation, business guru Tom Peters describes a trip he took:

‘My first stop was the Ritz Carlton at Peachtree center in Atlanta. In the course of my stay, I encountered 25 to 30 hotel employees. Some were housekeepers, some were waiters, some were maintenance people, some were accountants, on their way to meetings with sheaves of paper under their arms.

Every time one of them (including the accountants!), performed what I call the Ritz Pause. This is, they took a couple of seconds, stopped, looked at me in the eye, and asked, ‘How's everything going? Is there anything I can do for you?’” (Going Public with Your Faith, William Carr Peel and Walt Larimore, p. 75).

As I reflected on his words, I thought about how important it is for the church to model this kind of behavior when it comes to church visitors.

First impressions are often lasting impressions, and we don’t often have second chances to make first impressions.

As church members we must always strive to go out of our way in welcoming new visitors, taking extra effort to make them feel comfortable and at home. Walking with them instead of pointing them to the Sunday School area, taking time to introduce yourself and engaging them while practicing the “Ritz Pause” and asking, “Is there anything I can do for you,” are the kind of actions that people will never forget.

It has been said that "people may forget you, but they will never forget how you made them feel, and how you made visitors feel may be that special quality that brings them back to church again.

It is not always the big things that visitors will remember about your church-they may be impressed with the quality of preaching, or music or the beauty of the sanctuary or worship center, but they will never forget how they were treated and how you made them feel when they worshiped with you.

I like to remind our people that ‘every member is a minster’ and every Sunday, it is their responsibility to exercise their ministry by reaching out and spending time with each, but always giving special preference to those who may be first time visitors.

Each Sunday I suggest that every member pray this prayer before setting foot in church, “Lord, help me meet and make a new friend this Sunday. Help me be your eyes and ears, always sensitive to the ways I might make a difference in another person’s life. Help me come to church with the mentality that seeks to find a need and fill it, and don’t let me leave until I have made some difference, however small it may be. in someone’s life.”

This past Sunday I was in Houston, Texas where I was involved in a church consultant training program, and I worshipped in a wonderful church named Above and Beyond Fellowship. As I reflected on the church’s name, I thought what an apt way to describe a church member’s job description, one which reminds us to continually and consistently be looking for opportunities to practice the kind of love, care and concern that goes “above and beyond” what anyone, especially a new church visitor, might ever expect.

Today and every day, let’s commit to being “Above and ‘Beyonders’ for Jesus, so that wherever we are and whatever we do, people’s lives will be blessed, and He will be honored.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom