The Top 4 Reasons to Introduce Yourself

by Bill Cowles

In my previous blog, I ranted about my ongoing experience of feeling unwelcomed and uncomfortable while visiting churches because front-of-the-room worship leaders rarely introduce themselves. And if that’s the problem, it’s only fair to offer some easy and effective solutions.

A good start is to remember the power of first impressions. The people who speak in front bear a huge responsibility for creating pleasing experiences and lasting impressions with visitors. And sharing your name makes a powerful, personal, lasting impression. Consider the benefits for your church when every stranger who comes in leaves with a personal connection.

For each and every person who ever has or ever will stand and speak before a church gathering, here are four great reasons why announcing your name and your role/responsibility in the church will pay off in huge dividends with visiting strangers:

1. They now will recognize a familiar face and name. You’ve just eliminated the stranger factor for them. They might not yet consider you a friend, but it’s a pretty good start to connecting. They will carry away a personal, familiar memory of an individual with a name and an identified role, and won’t feel unattached when (if) they return.
2. They will hear what you have to say. It’s really hard to concentrate on someone’s words when you don’t know who they are and why they are talking to you. If you want people to feel comfortable and confident following your lead in singing, praying, preaching, discussing, and engaging, then identify yourself first,
3. It opens an opportunity to invite visitors to be part of your church’s vision, mission, and purpose. Since you’ve captured their attention, visitors will receive the valuable information you want them to know about your church like – who you are, where you’re going, and what you’re doing as a church. Regulars also will get a helpful reminder of the “Why,” “What,” and “Who” that motivate ministry participation and drive results. Then, too, your regulars soon will be able to cite your vision, mission, and purpose clearly and succinctly to not only church visitors, but also to personal friends and community contacts.
4. You will have modeled positive, welcoming behavior to your other leaders and church regulars. In time, everyone in the congregation will become comfortable with an “I’ll-go-first” introductory practice. It will become natural and normal. Leaders go first every time, of course. You will create a cultural standard.

So, what does an effective introduction sound like? Here are a couple of real-life examples of really good introductions to help you before your next front-of-the-room opportunity…

• "Good morning! My name is _ (Banjo John)__,and I am the __(Worship Leader) __here at __(Our Church)_. The musicians and I will be leading us as we __(Praise God, give him thanks, and ask his blessings through our voices lifted together in beautiful music)__. Our music and scripture today are all about __(Message topic)__, so stand as you’re able and join us in song!”
• "Good morning! I’m __(Julie Elder)__, and I am the __(Lead Pastor)__ here at __(Our Church)__, and I am thrilled you’re here with us. For those of you visiting today, __(Our Church)__  is a worshiping community that exists to serve our __(Local Name)__ community with __(small group outreach to single-parent families and others who don’t have a relationship with a loving family__). Our vision is that __(no one in Our Community will ever be lonely, feel lost, or unloved__). We take the message of Jesus Christ into the community through a wide variety of ministries and mission programs, and we invite you to explore where you might fit. I and some of our ministry leaders will be in the __(Room)__ after the service, and invite you to come and introduce yourself. We have lots of information and good news to share with you, and I look forward to meeting you and knowing your name.”

Now, isn’t that easy? And aren’t the benefits potentially wonderful? Visitors will feel good knowing that you cared enough about them to make an extra effort to introduce yourself. They’ll listen to what you have to say and feel confident about following your lead because they heard you. Chances are, too, they’ll feel good enough to come back.

Your Name, Please. Don’t Make Us Guess.

by Bill Cowles

Nearly every church I visit seems to have a real knack for making a stranger uncomfortable. They don’t do it intentionally, but they certainly accomplish it effectively, and it all starts with the first person who stands up to speak and never says his/her name.

How many times have you heard a Worship Leader begin an opening with – “Good Morning, Church, now let’s get on our feet and praise the Lord!” – as he/she launches into a song? I always want to say, “Wait a minute – who are you and why are you telling me to do this?” As far as I can tell, this disregard for self- identity is due to one or more of three reasons:

1. The Worship Leader can’t remember his/her own name. OK, I know, I know – I have no empirical evidence of this, but I have a lot of suspicions.
2. The Worship Leader has such a huge ego he/she simply assumes everyone knows his/her me. Sometimes, Worship Leaders can be seduced into thinking that the applause is for them. Performers and participants need to remember that there’s only one “Superstar” in church, and his name is Jesus.
3.  The Worship Leader never considered the fact that there might be a stranger in the room – someone who knows no one, and who is looking for some comfort and connection in a new place. In way too many churches, however, this kind of visitor indifference is the dominant behavior.

But, let’s not pick on just Worship Leaders. The same missing identity problem is true of Pastors, of Liturgists (Scripture readers and Response leaders), of Choir Directors, of Children’s Time Leaders, Prayer Leaders, Announcers – of virtually everyone who stands and speaks before the congregation. It’s maddening that all of these people assume that a stranger will know that they are someone who has authority, and will automatically trust that person with their spiritual experience that day.

The problem extends beyond simple greetings, announcements, instructions, and invitations, too. I know many parents and grandparents who wouldn’t think of sending children off to some unknown part of a strange building with an unidentified adult. And, who could blame them for sitting clenched and anxious for the rest of the service? Did they feel good about their experience at that church? Is there any chance of that family coming back? Doubtful.

Our names are our identities, and sharing them is an offering of respect for others. So, give a stranger a break. Introduce yourself.

In my next week’s blog, I’ll lay out some of the tangible benefits of, and even offer some sample scripts for, self-introductions that hit the mark with visitors every time.

ACTIONPoint – Re+Visioning for Local Churches

by Reba Collins and William Cowles

Like many of you, our personal ministry was born out of seeing a need that wasn’t being met – a need to help people who were leaving one church for whatever reason, and looking for another. We saw churches attempt to close their back doors or to open their front doors more widely. We rarely saw churches, however, with the vision or desire to offer support and guidance to those who were in-between.

So we started The Church Guide and developed a Website full of resources, tools, and advice on church search strategies for people looking for a faith community that fit their needs, styles, and interests.

Over the past five years, we’ve each had the opportunity to test and tweak our tips, tools, and strategies through our own personal church searches. We’ve also helped our own families and a number of our friends find new church homes. Finding a new church is NOT an easy journey, and we are blessed to have helped make it easier for so many. We hope you will join our effort in helping church searchers you know by referring them to The Church Guide’s Website, too.

In developing The Church Guide’s content, we visited over 125 different churches; talked at length with numerous church leaders; attended church leadership conferences; read and researched best practices for church leadership and ministry; and began to realize how difficult it really is to find places where spiritual growth flourishes within a vibrant faith community. 

We began to see the greater need – more healthy, vibrant church choices for church searchers.

Over the past five years, it has become clear to us that many churches are not viable options for people who want to be a part of God’s family and to do Kingdom work. In our experiences with church searchers and with churches, we found measurable, observable – and fixable – patterns of deterioration in too many churches.

Regardless of their age or location, these declining churches started because they had both vision and a missional focus to reach people who needed a relationship with a church community. Over the years, new people came and became the church, and the church slowly turned its focus inward to serve the people of the church. In the process of doing more and more to meet the needs and interests of those inside, they forgot about those on the outside who still needed a church.

In essence, we’ve discovered that when a vision for new people gets lost, misplaced, or dies, the church begins to lose its purpose.

We believe the solution to the problem of declining and dying churches in America boils down to one word – VISION. It has been abundantly clear to us that drifting, declining, or dying churches need to Re+Vision.

Three years ago, we tested our hypothesis by applying the experiences, knowledge, gifts, and skills God gave each of us toward helping a single church regain its vitality and become a better church choice in its community. We began with a pastor friend whose church was adrift and declining. In many ways, this church was in crisis. As we worked with their pastor, staff, and lay leaders, we discovered that a refocused, restored, recommitted vision isn’t the end – it’s just the beginning of the journey. The church has to align its ministries with its vision, and to advance its purpose to the people God has called them to love and serve.

Our research and experience tell us that when church leaders “get it” – when they truly know what vision God has called them to fulfill within their communities – the entire congregation will understand why the church needs to do things differently to reach, engage, and serve more new people. That’s why we’ve created ACTIONPoint as an entity through which we can work directly with church leaders as coaches, consultants, problem-solvers, supporters, and outside un-anxious presences.

Since that first test case, we’ve worked with several churches, pastors, and leadership groups in various ways to help them as they do the hard work of Re+Visioning. On our Website, we talk directly to church pastors and leaders about Re+Visioning and best practices for leadership, church culture, communication, hospitality, and volunteerism.

ACTIONPoint focuses on growing God’s kingdom by increasing the number of churches that want to reach and involve new people in their vision, mission, and purpose. We offer the church leadership experience, the outsider/visitor perspective, and access to the best resources available to help churches start moving forward to a better future.

We encourage you and other church leaders to check out our Website. No cost or obligation – just some great inspiration, information, and an opportunity to open a conversation with some folks who love your church. And by all means join the conversation with us on Facebook.

3 Easy Ways to Make Easter Enjoyable and Engaging for Everyone

by Reba Collins

Experience is everything at Easter.

At its core, Easter celebrates the single defining experience of our faith – the Resurrection of Jesus Christ – and all of us faithful churchgoers know it and love it! But there is a flip side to Easter because many first-time visitors aren’t experienced church people, and don’t know what to expect with their Easter experience. Your members come to Easter with confidence, joy, and anticipation. Your visitors may come with self-doubt, uncertainty, and anxiety.

Easter is a huge opportunity for church leaders to effectively welcome uneasy newcomers into a highly charged group of Easter devotees. Here are three simple prep steps that will make visitors feel more welcomed, engaged, and ready to come back after Easter.

Be prepared to…

1.     Tell visitors WHY YOU’RE GLAD they’re there and HOW YOU’VE PREPARED for their experience. Say it in the Bulletin. Say it in the Welcome and Announcements. Say it during Prayers. Say it again at the Benediction. This assures newcomers that they are welcome, expected, and invited into your celebration. It also reminds your members that not everyone knows your church traditions, and helps them be good party hosts.  

2.     Point out WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT EASTER day and why. Some visitors won’t know what they should be experiencing. Help them understand their experience by providing context – explain what and why you’re doing and saying and singing the things you are. Again, this also helps your members because now they don’t have to try to explain Easter to their invited guests.

3.     Tell them WHAT THEY NEED for the next visit. Your awesome Easter celebration might rock their world, but visitors are conditioned to view it as a once-a-year experience, not a life-changing experience. To help eliminate the “one and done” Easter attitude, let visitors know you  understand what they face in their lives by inviting them back to a “needs-based” sermon or group series on finances, parenting, or relationships. And yet again, now your members will have something specific and meaningful to talk about when they invite their guests to come back.   

We can’t even begin to imagine what that first-hand experience was like for the disciples on the day of Jesus’ Resurrection. BIG SURPRISE! One of the best ways to make an experience positively memorable, enjoyable, and engaging for your disciples-in-the-making is with a good surprise.

As you prep for their experience now, remember that adding our three simple steps can help your visitors and guests discover the wonderful surprise of Jesus’ Resurrection this year.

Are You Leading People Out the Door?

by Reba Collins

People are going to leave your church for a variety of reasons. It’s a given. But, is your leadership one of those reasons? In business, in church, and in life, leadership either inspires people to stay or it drives them away.

The Barna Group’s latest research confirms the impact of good and bad leadership in the workplace -- and in churches too. They found that two out of five people over the age of 18 consider their immediate bosses to be “bad” leaders.  Barna also found that people who work for “bad” leaders are two times more likely to leave their current places of employment.

Barna’s findings hold true for church leadership for two primary reasons:

1.     People will move away from bad leadership. Many adults are exposed to poor leadership at some point in their professional lives. The majority tolerate working for bad bosses because they are getting paid to do so. Barna found that 62% of those they surveyed indicated that wouldn’t follow their bosses if their paychecks didn’t depend on it. In church world, not many of the “workers” get paid. People will not subject themselves to following a bad leader when they can easily walk away and find many better-led church options or other “difference-making” organizations.

2.     People will gravitate toward great leadership.  So what makes a great leader? Here’s what Barna found doesn’t make a great leader, and the three main “bad boss” complaints are: lack of clear vision and direction, more stress due to boss’ poor leadership, and feeling controlled, manipulated, or put on the defensive.

One the flip side, Barna found great leadership within an organization produces less turnover, a purposeful work environment, and inspired workers. Within a church organization, great leadership encourages more new people to engage in your vision, mission, and ministries and motivates more of your current members to engage and participate. It’s not an “either/or.” It’s both.

So how do you know if you’re a great leader that others will follow willingly and purposefully because no one will tell you how well you are leading them? They will simply drift away or disengage into the land of drones.

Here are four powerful self-reflections to evaluate your own leadership in church:

1.    I’m casting the vision and mission of our church over and over again. I’m constantly reminding people why we are here and what we do.

2.    I have a deep desire to make things better. Jesus calls us to a better way of life and to help make things better for others. I take this personally.

3.    I love progress because the status quo drives me crazy. I help us move forward instead of staying where we are.

4.    I take responsibility to guide and steward myself and my people, including initiating change where it’s needed to fulfill our vision and achieve our mission.

The positive or negative impact of leadership isn’t confined to where we work. Its’ evident in our families and where we serve in church and the community. Churches require the best leadership because the scope of the work the people are called to do. So look around and notice where your people are.

Good leaders take people to the promised land; bad leaders open the door to the wilderness.