Dear Small Church Congregation,
Example #1: I recently walked into a church building foyer and looked up to see how high the ceiling was. (I’ve spent a good deal of my life involved in construction, and noticing wall height is just something I do out of habit.) There in that decorated space for an entrance, above the immediate eyesight of most people, was something that desperately needs to be repaired. An area almost two feet square is water damaged, stained, cracking and with part of the ceiling texture missing, revealing bare sheetrock. I politely mentioned the ceiling to someone I know who attends there. The individual was not offended and stated, “Oh, yeah, we’ve been meaning to fix that.”
I have a question for you: What kind of a first impression would a damaged, unrepaired ceiling that is known to exist make on someone who had never entered the foyer and looked up?
Example #2: An evangelist friend related how he had gone to a church recently to minister for some special worship services. The door greater was the only one who had spoken to him as he had entered and had told him the pastor would be out soon and for him to be seated anywhere. He entered the sanctuary, found a seat near the front and sat down. Not long after seating himself, a couple walked in and approached him. Their greeting was, “We usually sit here.”
Another question for you: How welcome do you think that evangelist felt?
First impressions matter. There is a reason greeters are stationed at entrances. There is a reason facility repairs are made in a timely manner. There is a reason hospitality is stressed in scriptures. There is a reason signs that direct people to commonly needed areas should be well-placed and easily readable. There is a reason pastors encourage members to greet new people and actually talk to them. The reason is: FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER! (Yes, I said that really loudly.)
People do not get a second chance to make a first impression. When a visitor approaches a place of worship, the first few minutes matter immensely in the perception that visitor will develop of the facility and its attenders. Some sources site anywhere from the first two or three minutes to the first seven or eight minutes as being the most important time span for a congregation to make a positive impression on a first-time visitor. That means before a visitor has even looked at where to be seated, the first impression is forming.
I saw an interesting parking space sign years ago that caught my attention. It said: Reserved for Elderly and Expectant Mothers. I believe they understand the needs of multi-generations, which means they want multi-generations. First impression?
I mentioned hospitality earlier. According to the Tecarta Bible Search App, various translations of the Bible hold at least 45 verses that mention the concept of hospitality. And folks, the amount of hospitality a congregation displays will make a huge impact on a visitor’s first impression.
I encourage you to ask yourself just how hospitable your congregation is. Is your entrance easy to locate? Do obvious signs point new people to the bathrooms, the nursery, discipleship classrooms that are age specific, the sanctuary or even the emergency exists? Do regular attenders intentionally talk to visitors or just say, “Good to have you with us today?” Do you help new attenders find a place to sit or where to direct their children after you shake their hand? Do you give them a 1 or 2 sentence description of what they are about to experience?
I once filled in for a pastor who had a family emergency. After the service, I was invited to eat lunch with one of the families. When was the last time you invited a first-time visitor, or even a repeat visitor, to eat with you after the service? First impression?
I haven’t mentioned anything about the actual time of worship yet, have I? That will come in the next letter, #49, First Impressions—2. For the time being, just remember that first impressions matter.
Sincerely,
A Small Church Pastor