How to Personally Recruit New Church Greeters

One of the biggest challenges I hear from churches is, “How do we find people who actually want to greet?”

Recruiting church greeters can feel like pulling teeth, especially if you rely only on bulletin announcements or Sunday morning pleas from the pulpit.

The truth is, the best greeters aren’t usually waiting for a public announcement. They’re already in your congregation. They are the friendly, attentive people who naturally make others feel seen and welcomed. They just need someone to notice them and invite them into ministry.

In my coaching conversations with hospitality leaders, I’ve found that recruiting the right church greeters starts with intentionality. It is about identifying and equipping people who reflect the warmth and welcome of Christ to every guest who walks through your doors.

That’s why I wrote Church Greeters 101 — to help you find, train, and encourage volunteers who will make Sunday mornings a life-giving experience for your visitors.

Here’s a sample chapter from that book, focused specifically on finding and recruiting new church greeters.

You’ll discover practical ways to identify potential volunteers, start meaningful recruitment conversations, and invite them into ministry with confidence.

Here is what one reviewer has already said:

I’ve been looking for a resource to help guide me as I work to rebuild our greeter ministry.

Church Greeters 101 hits the spot!

What I really found helpful was the practical action steps in each chapter.  By the time I finished, I could see how to put together an effective greeter training, which was what I was needing.

After reading this book, I could tell that Chris has been listening to the people he seeks to serve.  The practical nature of this book has given me the boost I needed to rebuild our greeter ministry.

‘Bobby G’ Griffiths
Worship, Arts & Media Coach
Riverside Community Church, Riverside, CA

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Finding New Church Greeters

In my last congregation in Richmond Virginia, there was a gentleman who was always greeting visitors, and always bringing visitors.

He seemed to always be introducing people on Sundays and making sure they had their practical needs met.

He was a natural greeter.

He started serving at the entry door to our church and greeting everyone walking in the door.

It’s easy for him to do so.

He was an easy one to recruit.

What to Look for in Recruiting A Church Greeter

As you do recruiting, keep in mind that you may not want to simply accept “whosoever will.”

Church greeters can be trained, but if you are just starting a greeting ministry or recruiting new church greeters for your current ministry, start with the “easy ones.”

You want people who love this ministry of hospitality.

Set some standards and challenge people to reach for them. Look for those who show natural warmth towards people, particularly your visitors. Look for those who clearly have an “other oriented” mindset.

I would suggest that you don’t only recruit those who have proven themselves as leaders in your congregation.  Search for those who you think have potential as well. This will help you train up future leaders, perhaps train your replacement, and spread the joy of ministry around. You don’t want to overload existing leaders.

Look for a level of spiritual maturity. You will want to recruit those of good character and reputation. Visitors may know your greeters from seeing them around the town. Visitors might form an impression of your church based on where your greeter was seen a few days before. I can’t tell you how many laypeople have told me how important that is. In small towns, this may be more important than in larger more anonymous cities.

You’ll want people who have a history of modeling kindness and show a level of friendliness that seems pretty natural.

You’ll also want to think about those whose hygiene habits make recruiting easy.

Specialized greeting areas such as security and parking lot volunteers may need specialists with particular training in security or medicine.

If your church uses spiritual gifts inventories as part of the ministry, look for those who have the gift mix of a greeter.

These will give you a potential pool of volunteers to start with.

How to Personally Recruit New Church Greeters

Smaller churches may want to focus on personal recruitment rather than relying on the bulletins and newsletters. I’ve talked with several coordinators who say announcements don’t work as effectively as personal contact in their ministry context.

Larger churches may find personal recruitment a time challenge, but sometimes the greeting coordinator will still notice someone with potential. This will supplement the normal recruiting channels they have.

1. Find the easy ones.

The first step in personal recruitment is to notice people who have a natural passion for saying hello.

Look for those who take the initiative to meet the stranger, who always seem to be approaching people, who seem to find small talk easy – these are the easiest ones to recruit.

2. Take them out for a cup of coffee.

The second step for personal recruitment is to go beyond the Sunday morning hallway hopeful ask. Offer to take them out for a cup of coffee (or have a dessert at your house, whatever way you do stuff like this). Get out of the church environment and into a place where you can talk one-to-one.

Share some of the ministry vision of hospitality and greeting. Share your vision of what you hope the greeting ministry will be and how important you feel it is to the work of the ministry. You’ll be able to communicate your passion as you talk about why you love this work, why you feel it’s important. This obviously goes way beyond the typical hallway hopeful ask: “can you be a greeter next week?”

During that kind of conversation, you’ll pick up on body language and verbal clues that will tell you if your invitee is catching on to the vision. You can adjust on the fly as you need.

3. Make a clear ask.

Thirdly, give them a clear ask. Ask them serve regularly in your ministry, but give them time to pray about your invitation. Present two options of how to serve in your greeting ministry. (If you give more than more than two choices, no decision will likely get made).

Some people will say yes right away, others will appreciate the space to pray and consider all the other obligations and scheduling that happens in their life. Call them back after a few days and ask them if they have decided.

During your conversation, you may detect a hesitation. Sometimes that is rooted in not being sure what to do and being a little embarrassed over not knowing what to say or how to act. Make sure you mention that you offer training to help them grow in their skill and comfort factor. This will help the potentially nervous greeter get on board with your work by answering an unspoken objection that is likely there.

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Let me ask you this:

How do you personally recruit greeters for your ministry?

(I’m not talking about impersonal steps like announcements or begging from the front, depending on your perspective).

Rebuild Your Church’s Greeter Ministry

If your greeter ministry feels dull or disorganized, it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Church Greeters 101 gives you step-by-step guidance to recruit volunteers, train with confidence, and build a team that truly helps guests feel welcome.

Each chapter offers practical action steps, discussion questions, and examples you can use right away—no need to start from scratch.

Bring focus and enthusiasm back to your church’s first impression.

Read more about Church Greeters 101 here.