Imagine Indiana Transition Team Information

Hoosier United Methodists together

Nov./Dec. 2004

Request a Mystery Guest Audit sheet from Igniting Ministry (or download it from the Igniting Ministry Web site -- www.ignitingministry.org ) and invite people from other churches to visit your church and provide feedback about how welcome they felt. Use the results to see your church in a new way.

Do a walk-through assessment of your church building to see how easy it is to find your way around with signs. The Igniting Ministry Planning Kit Handbook Appendix includes several assessments for signage, church jargon in publications and friendliness of church facilities.

Use the phrase "Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors. The people of The United Methodist Church." on all your printed materials to help people connect the theme of the television messages with your congregation.

Welcome guests during Sunday announcements or joys and concerns to remind the congregation to expect and welcome newcomers.

Implement two welcoming tools in your congregation - starting this Sunday:
Circle of 10: Have each member of the congregation talk to and learn the names of everyone they don't know within 10 feet of where they are sitting.
Rule of 3: Have the congregation talk only to the people they don't know for the first three minutes after worship. That's a prime time for newcomers to leave without being greeted.

Teach the congregation this simple phrase for starting welcoming conversations: "Hi. I don't believe we've had the opportunity to meet. I'm ________. And you are? I may be newer than you, but is this one of your first times at this church?" Try a welcoming role-play or drama in worship to show them how to find common ground during welcoming conversations.

Remind your congregation of the times the national television advertising is running (Lent, Back-to-School and Advent). They are key times to do your own local advertising and have your members concentrate on inviting people to worship or special events. It's also when they can especially be on the lookout for newcomers.

Watch WAKT (We All Know That) thinking of how phrasing in your announcements, publications explain these ideas. Remember that newcomers won't know the elements you take for granted, so explain them.

Add instructions about where to find the key liturgical elements during worship in the hymnal such as the Lord's Prayer and Apostle's Creed. Or print them in the bulletin. (Consider calling the bulletin a "program" instead to better communicate to all people.)

Include your worship times in your voice mail or answering machine greetings and on outside signs, so that, even if your building is closed, people can still access and use that important information. Additional information can be found at the official Igniting Ministry Web site or by calling the Igniting Ministry offices.