New church greeters may want small talk ideas to help them say different things other than “Good morning.”
While “Good Morning” is a place to start, the desire for variety could lead to a quest for other approprriate small talk greetings or quesitions.
Some new church greeters or new church ushers may feel a little nervous when serving for the first time because they may not know what to say or what they can say.
Or perhaps the new volunteer at the church’s next steps center who will serve your first-time guests and answer their questions may feel little nervous because they may not know what to say.
As the leader in your hospitality ministry, you can help your new volunteer by giving them small talk questions.
These questions can help them get a conversation going at a welcome center, your church lobby, or maybe in whatever visitor reception you might have before or after your church service.
Help your nervous volunteer feel equipped for conversations that might help your church assimilation process down the road.
Purposeful Small Talk Questions
1. Conversational starters.
Most of these church greeter small talk questions can be helpful during the passing of the peace (if that is your practice).
Your volunteers might find these starter questions helpful in your visiting time when your church service is over.
Not all of these are appropriate at all times, but could spark additional ideas.
Use just one or two. I know that I’d feel a little uncomfortable with having to answer all these questions from a stranger, but one or two could get a conversation going.
Consider them as icebreakers to facilitate or open the doors to a potentially deeper conversation and connection.
After all the goal is to start the process of getting to know a church visitor who hangs around after the service.
Not every visitor to your church wants to engage in conversation, so it’s appropriate for church greeters to discern the level of interest in a conversation.
You’ll want to avoid any sense of:
- invading personal space
- asking too many personal questions
- being too nosy.
- not reading body language to see “enough already” or “leave me alone.”
Questions Church Greeters might find helpful
- What keeps you busy during the week?
- How did you find our church?
- What do you do in your day job?
- Which school do you attend? What’s your major?
- What do you sense God has in mind for you?
- What is your name?
- Where do you work?
- What kind of work do you do?
- Do you have any questions about the class or the church?
- Do you know how to get to the church’s auditorium?
- Do you know anyone that attends the church?
- Are you looking for a church home?
- Where do you live?
- Will you sit with me (during the service or activity)?
- Have you met “name of a person” that is standing near you? Introduce the guest to the person.
- Look at the person’s clothes and decide if there is something about the color, pins, etc. that you can ask a question or make a comment.
Read More: More Greetings for Church Greeters.
Your turn
Use the comment field below to add your answer
What question do you like to use to begin a conversation with a church visitor?
Recommended Resource:
If you lead your church greeter ministry, you’ll want to acquire this for your own inspiration or training:
- Church Greeter Training DVDs version
- Or get the download only versions here.
Are church greeters an appropriate ministry for the church?
Thank you for stopping by and leaving such an insightful comment. . . . I’ve been away on mission work and just now catching back up.
Hi Chris,
I have been asked by our lead pastor to head up “hospitality” at our church and thank you for what you are doing. Very practical! I hope to promote the idea that hospitality is a command for all believers and is biblically based on ” love your neighbor as yourself” I.e. Empathy and remembering what it is like to be a stranger in a new place is key. ” do unto others”.
There is also a need for those who are especially drawn to hospitality and are graced by God to excel in this ministry. Members of a hospitality team should be well-trained and see their ministry to others as a crucial part of facilitating the Great Commission. Those seeking God and salvation might walk in our doors, visitors and regular members might be in great need. What a shame if people come looking for God, friendship or help and we are too busy or in alert to be there for them.
Hospitality should start when the visitor arrives in the parking lot and continue throughout and especially as they are leaving. A follow up would be great if possible. Greeters, hosts, ushers should all be sources of information and facilitate orientation and connection to other departments and ministries in the church. Eg. Counseling, home groups, youth ministry, young adults, and so on.
Pastoral staff and music ministry members should be involved. These upfront people can not be so distracted and busy asto disengage from this essential ministry.
Hospitality can require a death to self, going outside our comfort zone, and a willingness to go the second mile.
I hope to be able to prayerfully recruit those who are hospitality-minded from various demographics in our fellowship, train them and then encourage them to be alert to visitors they would best connect with and are led by the Holy Spirit to engage.
Chris, your materials are going to be very useful…thank you for your work