Do You Have a Reservation?

While visiting a local church, I was struck with how well they greeted me, welcomed me, and made me instantly comfortable among them. It was as though they had been expecting me, but I hadn’t told anyone I was coming, and churches don’t have reservation systems – at least, yet.

That really great experience reminded me of a really bad one, in a different setting. Our family and some friends got caught at a well-known local restaurant where it took forever to get a table. When we finally got seated, the service came fast and furious with four different waiters taking the drink orders, delivering the drinks, offering the bread basket, and finally taking our food orders. And then we waited; and waited; and waited. Servers zipped by at lightning speed – serving other tables. Glimpses of food, drinks, and checks faded as the minutes ticked by. A loooong period of inattention finally exhausted our 8-year old son’s limited patience. He flagged down the first server he saw and asked about our food. But, it was the clueless drink guy, so we waited some more. When our food finally arrived, not a word was said about our growling stomachs, and no server or manager offered an apology. It was as though we were an inconvenience in their place.

On the drive home, it came out in conversation that we had actually made an advance reservation. Upon hearing this piece of news, Mr. Impatient piped up from the minivan’s back seat with, “What! That’s no way to treat reservated guests. I’m not going back there again.”

 Too often, I leave a church with that same thought – “I’m never going back there again.” You see, I expect to be treated like a reservated guest every time I visit a church. All visitors should. It’s not like we decided to pop in for a quick bite. We planned well in advance of our visit, and we should expect a church to do the same.

Here are seven ways I can tell if a church is reserving a place for visitors: 

1.       Valet Parking – Well, call it reserved “visitor parking.” They should offer visitor spots close to the main entrance. Friendly greeters should be directing you to the proper doors, and others should be opening those entrance doors for you.

2.       A Friendly, Helpful, Organized Hostess Station – The sign might say “Welcome Center.” Be aware that the mere presence of a welcome center means nothing, though. Some churches use their hostess stations only for members to sign up for activities, turn in materials, or to collect dust.

3.       Direct Access to Your Seat – As in your place in the worship experience, Sunday school room, or community gathering. This might come in a variety of forms: great signage or other visual cues to prompt you to find the right space; greeters to take you directly; ushers to escort you to an open spot (sometimes reserved for guests); or, a strategically placed member inviting you to join them.

4.       Good Written or Verbal Explanations of the Menu Specials – In other words, you’re told what to expect in either a printed program or verbally. As do good restaurant servers, someone should ask you if you’ve been here before. Or, they may just assume you could use some explanation of what’s going to happen next. Either way, you will learn what to expect.

5.       Timely Service – This is always a matter of personal tolerance, but you shouldn’t feel trapped, bored, or impatient waiting for the main course – a connection with God. Timely service spans the entire experience, not just how quickly something gets put before you.  

6.       A Personal Check-in by the Management Staff – Are you offered the opportunity to give feedback on your experience either through a response card or a meet-up after the worship service? Sometimes these follow-ups and invitations come via email, a phone call, postal mail, or even a personal visit within a day or two of your visit.

7.       A Take-Home Box Offer– This could include a welcome gift for visitors, a visitor information packet, free CDs, DVDs, and Bibles. It could include an invitation and a designated time to meet with the pastors or staff.  Some churches prefer to deliver their gifts to your home.

To me, it’s not unrealistic to expect a church to plan ahead for your visit – to act as though they expected you, their reservated guest. They are, after all, in the people business, and, if they want you to return, they should plan accordingly. If they don’t offer a standing reservation for visitors, then they don’t deserve your repeat visit.