If you're running low on church welcome ideas, don't worry - you're not the only one. Sometimes it can feel impossible to increase your church member conversion rates and turn more visitors into long-term congregants. In this article, we'll cover 12 tried and true methods to increase your church membership through actions that make your visitors feel welcome.
Typically, 20% of people who attend your church for the first time will become long-term members. That’s only one in five. If you can get these visitors to return for a second time, that number jumps to a 40% conversion rate.
The best way to engage new attendees – and get them to come back! – is with a solid welcome plan that makes them feel like a part of your community already. If you want to try out some new church welcome ideas, we’re here to help!
These 12 church welcome ideas will help you turn all different types of church visitors into lasting, valuable church members.
Welcoming every visitor to your church with open arms is a step towards stewarding them into long-term members of your congregation. But it also makes them feel like a part of things and creates a better sense of community in your church.
What you may not know is there are different types of church visitors – and different ways to welcome them. Here are five types of visitors to keep in mind.
These are visitors who attend church with their partner, friend, or family member. They may or may not be looking to develop a long-term relationship with your church, but they’re more likely to return with the person who brought them if they have a positive experience.
Spiritually curious visitors may not have a past relationship with any church but are interested in learning more about your religion.
Welcoming them warmly shows all your church has to offer.
These visitors try out several different churches to find one that fits them. The more welcome you make them feel, the more likely they will choose your church!
When someone has a bad experience with a church, it’s difficult for them to find one that’s a better fit. Hopeful visitors attend your church with the hope that it’s their new home.
This visitor plans to get deeply involved. Maybe they just moved to town or are looking to make a switch. Like sampling visitors, they try out different options to see what fits – only their goal is finding a church home where they can really get involved.
Welcoming them will require showing all you have to offer, including opportunities to get involved and volunteer.
A great way to welcome visitors to your church is to greet them in your parking lot or outside your church building. Bad weather? Place them right inside the main entrances. Attending a church for the first time is intimidating, so seeing friendly faces right away makes for a more welcoming experience!
Plus, if your building layout is unclear, it’s nice to have someone to help guide visitors to your entrance.
A welcome kiosk can be a tablet with FAQs, information about your church programming, the history of your church, and more. This gives visitors a pressure-free way to get to know your church because they can independently browse that info.
Kiosks are also a great way to collect tithes and offerings. The Donorbox Live™ Kiosk app makes it easy to collect contactless donations through cards, smartphones, and smartwatches. All you need to launch your kiosk is an Android tablet or iPad, a Stripe M2 card reader in the U.S. or a WisePad 3 card reader in other countries, a stable internet connection, and a Donorbox account.
Watch this short video to learn more about Donorbox Live™ –
Donorbox helps thousands of churches reach their fundraising goals with Donorbox MinistryMatters, our dedicated pillar to support church fundraisers with resources, tools, and guidance. We’re here to help you serve your community and welcome new members!
A good welcome speech sets the tone for your service and introduces your church leadership. This helps all types of visitors get a good sense of what your church is like – and can encourage them to come back next week!
Check out The Ultimate Guide to Church Welcome Speeches on our blog. There, we share five sample welcome speeches, including this one for Sunday services –
Good morning. We’re so grateful to have you join us at (Church’s Name) this beautiful Sunday morning to praise God and his Son. My name is (Name), and I’m the (Title). I also want to introduce you to our Choir Director (Name) and Pastor (Name).
Every week, we gather together to share in God’s blessings, and this week is no different. If you’re new to our church, we want to welcome you and ask you to reflect on the ways God has made a difference in your life. As the service continues, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet other members and join our community.
We also want to remind everyone that cell phones are welcome during the service, but please keep them on silent. Feel free to take notes on today’s service or share a comment on our Facebook page.
Also, if you feel so moved, you can always share your tithe or offering via text. Information to donate by phone or online is in your program.
Now, before our choir takes the mic, let us pray.
This tells visitors so much about the values of this church, including concrete information about church leadership. We also love the hint about cell phones – a new visitor will feel more comfortable knowing the rules!
Did you know that 80% of church visitors will visit your website before they ever attend an in-person service?
Welcoming new church visitors these days starts online. Make sure your website is full of useful information about your church, including logistical information about attending like where to park and how long services last. You can also include details such as how formal your service is and what congregants typically wear. Your website should be easy to navigate and attractive so it gives visitors a good impression.
Time to revamp your website? Check out our detailed review of the 6 Best Church Website Builders for 2023 to find one that fits your needs.
Pro tip: Your website should include an easy way to donate to your church. Donorbox donation forms are simple to embed right on your website – or you can host them on Donorbox. Fully customizable and mobile friendly, your church visitors can use this form to easily give to your church and sign up for recurring donations, meaning they give again and again.
Apostic Faith Church has their church giving form hosted on Donorbox but conveniently linked on their website so it’s easy to find.
Build Your Donation Form Today
Video is a powerful element to add to your church, especially if you’re considering switching to a hybrid church model. For example, you could post your welcome video to your website to encourage new visitors to attend your virtual service.
It can also help welcome members to your church in person, too! You can play it in your church lobby on a low volume with subtitles so church visitors can get an idea of what your church is all about. Have screens in your worship space? Play the video as people are finding their seats!
Connection cards welcome church visitors by allowing them to share their information, potential volunteer interests, prayer requests, and more.
Whether you share your connection card digitally through QR codes or in person, we have a free template in our Guide to Connection Cards.
Once you have a way to contact your church visitors, you can begin to build a relationship with them by sending follow-up communications.
This could include the most recent issue of your church newsletter as well as a thank-you message for attending.
Pro tip: Use a tool to keep track of communications with your supporters like Donorbox’s donor management features. Your supporter list will automatically include anyone who donates online, but you can also manually add offline donations.
Once you build a Supporter profile, include all the information you have about a church visitor. You can also track your communications with them so you don’t reach out too much or too little.
Here’s what it looks like to add a communication record –
If you’re ready to take your church relationship management to the next level, Donorbox has two powerful integrations to help. Integrate your Donorbox account with Rock RMS or Planning Center so all your key data lives in one place!
After your sermon, encourage your congregants to stand and greet those around them. This helps build community among your regular members and welcomes church visitors at the same time. This encouragement creates lasting relationships, which leads to returning church members!
Swag, aka merchandise like t-shirts, pens, and lanyards with your church logo on them, can be a lovely gift to church visitors. It shows them your generosity while encouraging them to return. After all, they have the t-shirt now!
While this may not be possible every week, hosting a monthly reception for visitors is a great opportunity to get to know them better. Provide some light refreshments and encourage visitors to mingle with long-standing church members.
Gone are the days of the superstar pastor who exits out the back door! To engage and steward church visitors, your church leadership needs to be friendly and willing to mingle with the crowd.
This is so important because they can help answer any questions or concerns church visitors might have while creating a good impression! After all, isn’t connecting with the public why you planted your church in the first place?
A new visitor might be more likely to check your church out at a fun event instead of attending a service.
Church events are fun, pressure-free ways to welcome new members. They are also fantastic for fundraising.
Donorbox Events makes selling tickets to church events easy! It’s a great way to earn revenue for your church or simply track attendance for a free event.
Need some inspiration? Check out our list of 15 Creative & Engaging Church Fundraising Events.
If you’ve been wondering how to welcome visitors to your church, you’re not alone. Your welcome ideas won’t work on every visitor, but it’s still important to try out new strategies and make a real effort when it comes to connecting with your prospective congregants. Regardless of the type of church visitor you’re trying to engage, making them feel welcome is the first step to building that lasting relationship.
Put these 12 church welcome ideas into action to increase your conversion rate for new church members. And, to help grow your church even more, make sure you have the fundraising infrastructure in place to support your growth.
Donorbox MinistryMatters offers the tools your church needs to raise more effectively and efficiently, whether that’s text-to-give, peer-to-peer fundraising, crowdfunding, or any other fundraising method you’ve always wanted to try out!
For more articles to help you manage your church, check out the church fundraising section on our blog. Subscribe to our newsletter for a monthly dose of fundraising tips sent straight to your inbox.
Lindsey spent years wearing many hats in the nonprofit world. Whether she was helping arts nonprofits with their messaging and content, planning a fundraising gala, writing an NEA grant proposal, or running a membership program with over 400 members, she learned how to navigate – and appreciate! – the fast-paced world of fundraising. Now, she loves sharing those hard-earned lessons with the Donorbox community.
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Lindsey Baker Bower