Helping Newcomers Stick Around

by Reba Collins

On Tuesday we shared a blog on our Facebook page titled “6 Questions from Newcomers” by Charles Arn in Outreach magazine. Mr. Arn gave the startling statistic that 82% of people who drop out of church do so in the first year.

For example, if you have 25 Christmas-time visitors who actually get involved in your church in 2015, only 4.5 of them will still be there past a year. 82% of them aren’t getting answers to their questions, and so they leave. With some longer-established congregations also experiencing death rates at 10% and higher, an 18% gain in new members isn’t enough.

Luckily for many of our churches, we already have the people, the culture, and the ministries that make it easy to provide ”stickable” answers to newcomers’ questions.  What we lack is the intentionality in how we communicate them.

Here are the most obvious ways a church can address Arn’s first three questions for newcomers:

"Can I make friends in this church? " Beneath this question is the issue of belonging. So you need to be clear about who you are as a “people group.” Refer to yourselves repeatedly as: 

• A group in mission for…
• Imperfect people who love God and …
• A church that heals …
• Nurturers of the next generation…
• Having a heart for special needs families…

Newcomers are looking for people like themselves. Be honest. Be realistic. Be specific about who you are. For example, if you’re church’s average age is 65, don’t try to sell yourself as a church that loves young families. In this situation, young family newcomers will only get frustrated and leave because they can find more friends at school, the soccer field, and on Facebook.

“Is there a place I can fit in?” This is a matter of acceptance and finding one’s place. Small groups, Sunday School, and affinity groups are the best answer to this question. The trick is to communicate HOW newcomers find their fit with a group. Make “on ramps” into groups easy, obvious and strategic: 

• Assume newcomers don’t know why being in a group is important. Let them know why you want them to find a place; why you’ve created a group for them; and then invite them to a safe space that helps them find their place at your church.
• Assume newcomers know nothing about any of your groups. Who’s it for? What are the benefits of becoming part of a particular group? How are they helped in becoming part of the group?

Check out how you invite people to new places with new faces. Do you leave it up to them to initiate contact with someone they don’t know?  You might be providing the place, but not a “known” face. Don’t’ assume people know the way into “new to them” groups. Find a way to meet them where they are and escort them to a new place.  

"Does this church really want me?" This may seem like a “Duh?” question to people in the church, but what newcomers really want to know is: “Will I have a seat at the table? Will they value my input and contributions?” Newcomers don’t want to be another cog in the wheel, but rather, they want to contribute in meaningful ways. Newcomers are looking for how your church stewards people’s gifts and talents. They want to hear that: 

• We need people who have the gifts of discernment, prayer, and leadership to serve on our vision team.
• Our S.H.A.P.E. class helps you discover your life’s purpose and where best to serve in the church and mission field.
• If you are new to us and don’t know where to start, we’ll be happy to meet you after worship for a 30-minute overview about our vision, mission, and ministries.

Honestly, this is one of the areas where most churches fail miserably. Many don’t have any intentionality in helping newcomers discover their spiritual gifts, talents, experiences, or professional skills in ministry, let alone deploy them. The bottom line is that newcomers won’t stick around where they’re not wanted. 

Arn’s research found two specific times when newcomers are most likely to leave. Answering these first three questions in the first six months is critical for creating stickiness.

The second six months yields three more vital questions that newcomers are asking themselves:

• "Are my friends as good as my old ones?"
• "Does the group meet my needs?"
• "Is my contribution important?"

These questions go far beyond clear communication; they go to the heart of your church’s culture. And that would require another blog or two because culture is a tricky dynamic to nail down. We recommend the rest of Mr. Arn’s blog now, though, to get you thinking about how your church in the New Year can come alongside newcomers as they bring these questions to your church.

So for now, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all – we’ll see you in 2015!