5. “Someone walked us where we were supposed to go.”
Every place in a church facility is unknown to a first-time guest. They love greeters staying with them and taking the fear of the unknown away.
6. “There was genuine friendliness outside of the stand and greet time.”
I have come to the conclusion that church members tend to like the stand and greet time more than guests do. In fact, most guests see the stand and greet time as artificial, especially if members are not friendly outside that time.
7. “People followed up with my prayer requests the next day.”
Many churches have places on guest cards for prayer requests. If leaders in the church emphasize that people will pray for the guests, many are likely to complete the card. The guests are really impressed if they hear from someone the next day.
8. “I loved having the opportunity to speak with the pastor.”
In some churches, this conversation took place in a reception room after the service. In other churches, the pastor called or wrote a personal email that was obviously not a form email. Guests really love hearing from the pastor.
9. “I received a gift at the end of the service.”
Many guests love receiving a gift for their visit. Their favorite gifts are freshly baked cookies or freshly baked bread. But any gift is appreciated.
Keep in mind, those who responded to our survey noted only one of these nine surprises that caused them to return. They considered any of these efforts above and beyond what they expected.