THROUGH A VISITOR'S EYES

Here are some fascinationg insights from a Pastors' Internet Forum I help to moderate -

How interesting it is to be on the other side of the pulpit.

I have recently made a transition from the pastorate to educational ministry. This means my family and I are in the market for a church home. I thought some of you might appreciate some insight from a genuine church shopper.

Mind you we are not "seekers." In one way that makes us an easier sell--we WILL end up in a church--some pastor gets us, for good or for ill. We're not just trying out the whole church thing. On the other hand that probably means some things important to us may not be that important to your unchuched target. We are a target of another kind though. We won't be idle pew sitters, we will be active in ministry and strong supporters of our pastor wherever we end up--in that sense we represent the target of churched folks newly moved into your area who are anxious to join a church and reach the lost.

Lesson #1
Every Sunday Matters even if you're doing something different for your folks. If it's the Sunday I come and you've eliminated Children's ministry and I have to sit with my squirming kids I may not give you another chance. As parents one of the most important things we want to check out is the quality of your children's ministry and how our kids like it.

This also means every Sunday needs to be planned with your visitors in mind.

Lesson #2
Everything that makes your people feel like an insider, makes me feel like an outsider. Inside jokes, Your "this is my Bible chant, " All of it.


Lesson #3
Train your folks to be courteous to guests. Don't stand there in conversation, blocking the only path into the sanctuary, Don't park your car blocking an unknown vehicle into the parking lot (I swear I did not make that up).

Lesson #4
Don't call attention to me from the pulpit.

Lesson #5
Your bulletin is a document for visitors. Especially if no one got them a visitors packet (as happened at two of the three churches I visited--the third made me feel like an idiot as everyone watched as they gave me the packet not before but during the service with a running commentary from the front). If your ministry for middle schoolers isn't in the bulletin, I'll assume you don't have one--especially if you have info about the Sr. High group and specify it's not for kids the age mine is.

Lesson #6
If you do miss a visitor until the end, don't tell them to wait here for 5 minutes while you go look for the visitor packets.

There's probably more but this will get us started.