6 Ways to Follow Up on First Time Church Visitors

Healthy churches know that every first-time church visitor is a gift from God. When you follow up on first time church visitors with care and intention, you help them see a clear pathway into the life of your congregation.

Yet many churches do not have a well-designed visitor follow-up process system. Guests come once, slip away quietly, and leaders wonder why visitor retention is low and membership is not growing.

Planning how you will follow up on first time church visitors is one of the most important parts of your church hospitality ministry. A simple, repeatable church follow up strategy can help visitors return, build friendships, and grow in faith.

Maybe your church is already working on increasing invitations and helping members bring first time guests to church. The next step is to be just as intentional with your visitor follow-up.

If your church visitors do not return and make friends with people in your congregation, your church

• will not grow in a healthy, sustainable way
• will not help new believers who respond to an altar call grow as a disciple
• will not help new movers into your community connect and share their gifts and talents
• will not help evangelism contacts from your outreach events keep seeking Christ.

Watch: Why visitor follow up matters

In this short video, I walk through why a clear follow-up system can make such a difference in your church visitor retention.

Plan your follow-up with intention

Healthy churches work on improving their church hospitality and increasing their invitation rate. They will usually see an increase the number of first-time visitors.

But when your first-time visitor attends your church and fills out a church visitor information card, what happens next? A good church follow up process gives your team clear steps to care for that guest.

Over the years, many church growth writers have shared how important it is to follow up on first time church visitors:

• Visitor retention rate is highest when you follow up with visitors w/in 48 hours.
• In many fast-growing churches, reported retention rates of 34% for first-time visitors, 51% for second-time visitors, and 78% for third-time visitors.

Herb Miller gives the following statistics related to church visitor follow up:

• 85% of guests return if visited in 36 hours
• 60% of guests return if visited in 72 hours
• 15% of guests return if visited in 7 days.

Can you follow up too fast?  Nelson Searcy, author of Fusion, notes that mid-week follow-up worked best in his church. In his experience, immediate contact on Sunday afternoon sometimes felt too fast for first-time guests.

No matter what timing you choose, your visitor follow-up should be highly relational and focused on the guest when you reach out to them.

Let me show you six ways you can be intentional as you follow up on first time church visitors.

6 ways to follow up on your first-time church visitors

1.  Use a Visitor Welcome Packet to Invite a Next Step

If you do not get a visitor’s contact information, you cannot send them a note, invite them to a class, or offer a personal follow-up. You will not know how to pray for them or help them take a next step.

How can you follow up with them if you have no record of their presence?

Give them a church visitor welcome packet before they leave.

Read more: How To Follow-up on the Anonymous Church Visitor

I’ve seen churches distribute these packets in various manners:

• Making an announcement that invites first-time guests to raise their hand and receive a packet from a church usher
• Inviting guests to stop by a Next Steps Center or welcome table after the service.
• Training greeters and hospitality volunteers to recognize first-time visitors and offer a packet during conversation.

As the person goes home with a welcome packet, they might peruse it and learn more about your church, your programming, and consider a return visit.

Read more: 3 Steps to Make Church Visitor Welcome Packets

2.  Give Clear and Simple Next Steps

What is the simple next step that you would like your church visitors to take?

• Do you want to invite them to your Wednesday night supper?
• Do you want them to attend a New Guest Reception with the pastor?
• Do you want them to volunteer in a community service project coming on the 3rd Saturday?
• Is the next step as simple as returning for the next part of your sermon series?
• Do you want them to pick up a free resource at your visitor welcome center?

No matter what your next step is, your church visitor will not know if you are not clear about it. Clear next steps move people from first-time attendance to deeper connection.

Find ways to communicate that next step for your first-time church visitors.  Do not assume that they will figure it out on their own.  My family once attended a church for several weeks before we finally worked out what the real next step into community was.

Read more: What is the Next Step

3.  Mail a letter with a clear invitation

When you collect visitor contact information, you can send a first-time visitor follow-up letter or hand written note card of some kind. A simple, warm letter can encourage a guest to return and explore a next step.

You already may have a letter in your church visitor packet, but you might want to mail a customized one.   You could say something along the lines of:

We’re truly glad you came.  Many people like you have found this church to be their spiritual home.  For them, it is a place to serve with their gifts, a safe place to explore and discover their faith, a place to find new friends, a place to grow their own relationship with Christ.   I hope you found our people friendly and inviting.  If not, I want to know about it so we can make sure future guests who follow you will not experience the same.  Please call me directly at xxx-xxx-xxxx or email me at youraddress@example.com

Over the next few weeks, I hope you will discover how you can connect in a small group or in a service ministry. We offer many programs, but the first place you might want to visit is our Wednesday night dinner and Bible study. I have enclosed four coupons for your family to use over the next several weeks so you can eat free and meet new friends. Enjoy a meal with us. I hope to see you there.

4.  Offer a Post-service Reception or Coffee Hour

Once your worship service is over, create space for people to visit.  In our own church, this is one of our most important tools of connecting new members.  The coffee hour allows a time for people to talk in a relaxed environment.

Church greeters and hospitality volunteers can be intentional about talking with first-time visitors during this time, making introductions, and walking guests toward a clear next step.

Provide some seating and a few tables to make conversation easier. Pay attention to the quality of your beverages and snacks. Small details communicate care.

See more here:  Why your small church should have a reception after your service

5.  Host a “Meet the Pastor” Reception

A regular meet-the-pastor reception can be a simple next step for first time church visitors. You might hold this monthly, every other month, or whenever you can gather a group of newcomers.

Many churches schedule these receptions on Sundays after worship to avoid conflict with small groups and other activities. You may also schedule one within a month of a big Sunday such as Easter, Mother’s Day, Christmas, or Back-to-School.

Use this time to:

• Share the vision of the church
• Help other newcomers meet each other.
• Explain simple next steps to getting involved.
• Invite people to your membership or core beliefs class.

6.  Consider Home Visitation Where it Fits Your Culture

Some churches practice making brief home visits to first-time church visitors as part of their church visitor follow-up strategy.

Not all cultures welcome this. In some regions, an unannounced visit may feel invasive and unwelcome. Know the customs of your community and decide if this practice serves your guests well.

But, if you choose to make home visitation, common guidelines include:

• Have visits carried out by trained members of the church, not only the pastor or other paid staff.
• Make the visit within 36 hours of the event; ideally, the same afternoon.
• Keep the visit brief and remain on the front porch unless invited inside.
• Bring a small gift, such as cookies, bread, or some other thoughtful item.

The goal of the home visit is simple: appreciate their visit, leave information about the church, and invite them back for a return visit.

Here is a basic script your visitation team can use:

1. Print a directional map or use GPS from the church to first-time Guest homes.
2. Deliver a gift bag as a “Thank You for visiting” gesture.
3. Say something like this “My name is . . . . and this is . . .  from XYZ Church. We’re not coming in, but we wanted to come by and say thank you for visiting XYZC and here is a small gift from the Church.”

Simple follow-up templates you can use this week

Many pastors ask for practical church visitor follow up templates they can adapt. Here are three simple examples you can adjust for your setting.

Sample follow-up phone call script

Hi, this is [Name] from [Church Name]. I wanted to say thank you for visiting with us on Sunday. How was your experience? Is there anything we can clarify or pray about for you this week? If you would like, I can also share a simple next step to help you get to know our church better.

Sample follow-up email template

Subject: Thank you for visiting [Church Name]

Dear [First Name],

Thank you for visiting [Church Name] this week. We are glad you joined us and hope you sensed God’s presence and the warmth of our church family.

If you are looking for a next step, a good place to start is [your next step, such as a class, reception, or group]. You can learn more here: [insert link or brief description].

If you have questions about our church or how to get connected, reply to this email and we will respond. We would be honored to walk with you as you explore faith and community.

Grace and peace,
[Pastor’s Name]
[Church Name]

Sample follow-up text message

Hi [First Name], this is [Name] from [Church Name]. Thank you for visiting with us on Sunday. It was great to have you with us. If you are interested in a next step, we have [your next step] coming up. I’m glad to answer questions any time.

Improve your Church Visitor Follow-Up

Systems have a place, and in the training webinar on church visitor assimilation, available for download after purchase, I’ll cover a few systems that will help you build an effective church visitor follow up strategy.

Collecting visitor contact information has an important place in your plan. But the simplest and most powerful form of church visitor assimilation is helping people make friends.

When your visitor can make five to ten new friends within the first six months, they will likely stay, grow, and serve.

Learn More About Helping Your Guests Get Connected

Many churches welcome guests well, but do not have a clear path to help them return. This recorded Church Visitor Assimilation Webinar will show you simple, repeatable steps to help newcomers make friends and start belonging.

If you don’t have an intentional strategy for helping visitors connect with your church, then this class is for you.

In this training you will learn:

• How personal invitations increase return visits
• 5 must have tools for visitor follow up
• How to close the back door so guests do not disappear
• How to coach greeters and hospitality teams

You get instant access to the replay, MP3, and slides so you can train your team this week.

Read More About Downloading this Recording