Christmas is filled with excitement. The special events, the lights, the gifts, and all the traditions. Eventually, December 26 arrives and we are left with our memories and decorations waiting to be stored for another year. For the church, however each Christmas pageant, candlelight service, and markets are just the start of a larger process. The guests at each event or people touched represent a potential contact that needs to be made.
Being able to follow up after Christmas carries two assumptions.
Assumption one is we treated people like a guest and not a visitor. Some may wonder about the difference. Guests are welcomed people who receive special care while a visitor is more about someone who shows up and takes up space for a short time.
"Guests are welcomed people who receive special care. A visitor is someone who shows up and takes up space for a short time."
Dwayne McCrary
It’s the difference between hummingbirds and wasps in our backyards. Both arrive, but one is a welcomed guest while the other is tolerated. Surprisingly, people who attend our churches know which one you consider them to be even if they are not labeled as such.
The second assumption is that information was gathered on each person who attended or received a ministry action during the holiday season. Failing to gather basic information or at least attempting to gather basic information is a big miss on our side. Not everyone will share their contact information and we should respect that. But if a person decides to share their contact information, they are inviting us to make some kind of effort. They expect us to give them some attention and priority. This expectation is one reason that the longer we wait to try to contact a guest the less effective we become. Developing connections takes time, more like running a marathon, but they begin as a sprint to make that first contact.
Instead of proposing a plan, let’s focus on some questions that can guide us in creating a plan for follow up.
1. What is the goal of our follow-up?
Several answers can be given ranging from thanking them for attending to discovering ministry needs to engaging in a conversation about their spiritual journeys. The goal or goals determine the other steps especially when evaluating the success of the process.
Before we move on, involving them in an ongoing Bible study needs to be strongly considered as a goal. Ongoing Bible studies put them in a community where they can explore their spiritual questions and develop relationships with believers. Jeremiah 23:29 reminds us that God’s Word is like a fire that purifies and like a hammer that breaks rock which represent the hard and prideful hearts of people in need of the gospel.
"Is not my word like fire—this is the Lord’s declaration—and like a hammer that pulverizes rock?"
Jeremiah 23:29 CSB
2. How do we gather information?
This question seems simple, but it is not always that simple. The completion of a registration card, the scanning of a QR code to access a form or to share a cell number, the exchange of contact information using the tap features in smartphones, and a variety of other means may be used. The issue is not so much the technology of gathering the information as it is gathering it in a way that makes sense in that setting. No single way will work for every setting so consider using multiple ways of gathering information on guests.
3. Who should make the contact?
Someone must make the contact. We can decide that the pastor or a church staff member carries the burden or we can enable church members to assist. Guests view a contract from a staff member as part of his job while they tend to view a contact from a church member as being more genuine.
A best practice is assigning guests to Bible study groups with the expectation that someone from that group will reach out to the guest. The leader can certainly make the contact, but so might a person designated for each group. Naming Bible study groups by age-grouping or affinity group is important when it comes to making assignments. Using age-grouping names for our groups removes some of the guess work.
If the guest is under eighteen, contacting the parent or parents is the best practice especially if multiple people from the same address attended. We want to be wise about how we contact children, who makes the contact, and the form of that contact (card, phone, text, or in person). Having a vetting system already in place for anyone working with a minor will help as will the development of policies and practices that complement that vetting system.
4. What is the timeline for making a contact?
Obviously the sooner the contact the better, no more than 72 hours after they attend is ideal if possible. We may set a deadline and ask for a summary of the visit. Depending on the type of contact desired, a phone conversation may need less time to complete than a personal visit.
One option is to set aside a day of the month for making all contacts. The downside is some will not be contacted for four weeks after they first attended, but the good side is plans and accountability are built into a planned day set aside each month.
5. How can we help the person succeed when making the contact?
Delivering something from the church helps break the ice. One of the more cost-effective items to deliver is the personal study resource being used by the assigned Bible study group. Delivering such a resource communicates the importance of Bible study and serves as a means for the person to prepare.
Tip: Receiving an initial contact by text may be preferred by some.
Texts should be followed up with a call or a personal visit. Delivery of any items assumes a personal visit.
6. What do we track to see if our contacts make a difference?
A multitude of items can be tracked including number of contacts before a return visit, type of contacts and which ones seem to make the greatest impact, frequency of contacts and how that impacts average attendance in groups, and number of people who follow Jesus within a year of their initial attendance date. The goals determine what is tracked and how you track it. Church management software, spreadsheets, and paper filing systems can be used to track the selected result or results desired.
Hummingbirds have a high metabolism that requires constant access to nectar and fresh water. They also need a safe place to stay to protect them from predators. Hummingbirds need our intentional care to thrive. Wasps don’t need attention, don't ask for it, and won't hang around expecting it. We have a choice to make about the guests we host during Christmas. How we answer the questions above reveals if we see them as hummingbirds or wasps.