barriers
One of the best ways to educate someone is the Socratic Method. Instead of telling a student “the answer” a good teacher will guide the student through a series of question. As the students things about the questions and then poses. Questions of his own he will eventually discover “the answer.” However, if the original question is flawed the lesson learned may not be the lesson the teacher was trying to instill. Therefore, teachers must learn to ask the right question.
As churches try to reach the unchured and de-churched population in there community they often ask the wrong question. Man churches ask, “What can we do to attract people tour campus or worship service.” This is the wrong question and it will lead to the wrong answer. This question will cause the church to start new programs and develop new ministries. However, we all know that more is not always better. Actually, more can be the death nail for a church. Instead of trying to attract people to church, church leaders need to ask a different question.
The more appropriate question to ask is “What invisible barriers are keeping people away from out church?” While an attraction model might lead to more programs, this question will lead to a simple church and possibly a scaling back of programs. We have learned in the past few decades that the traditional Sunday morning “dress code” was a barrier for many people. Many people have to dress up all week long and do not want to put on a suit on Sunday too. However, some people simply cannot afford to “dress up.” The church at which I serve is located in an economically depressed area. As we try to reach out to out community we have discovered that many people do not have “Sunday clothes.” One of our pastors has a conversation with an African American lady. He discovered that she did not attend church on Sunday because she could not afford a “big fancy hat” to wear nor could her husband afford a nice suit. It is obvious that external factors keep people away from church, but what about the internal factors?
Apprehension about what to do in church keeps people away. This wall can be breached in several ways. Many churches have links on their websites that describe to potential quest what to expect when they arrive. Another answer to this dilemma is the Podcast. Numerous churches see the Podcast as an evangelistic tool. However, it can serve as a “marketing” tool as well. A quest will know what to expect form the sermon. She will know if the message is “hell-fire and brimstone” or if it is more topical and focused on life issues. Along the same lines churches can send CD’s or DVD’s into the community to let people know what to expect when they get to the worship service.
Another barrier to a potential guest might be your church building or campus itself. Our campus is over 100 acres and has 9 buildings. This can be really confusing to a guest especially if the signage explaining where to go is not strategically placed and informative. The answer to a confusing church or a campus might simply be new signs. A better answer might be the personal touch. You might want to station people at every entrance to your church or campus. These people can direct guest to the appropriate place. Even better than this solution, would be to direct them to a centralized welcome center. At the welcome center your “Guest Relations Expert” (AKA a friendly, well informed church member) can engage your guest in conversation and help them figure out where to go. This person can then take the guest to the appropriate place. The Guest Relations Expert (GRE) should first take the visiting family to the children’s and youth area and introduce them to the teacher for their child’s class. After the children are taken care of the GRE can take the parents to the mall group specially designed for them. However, it does not stop there. After the small group time, the GRE for the Adult class should walk the parents to pick up their children and then sit with them during the service. The GRE can act as a guide for the guest so they will know how to act during the service.
Christianity is about break down barriers. This was the goal of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. He broke down the barriers between God and humankind. I encourage you to look around your church and begin to identify the barriers that are keeping people away from your church. Only after you tear down the walls can you begin to ask the question, “What can we do to attract people to our now attractive church?
As churches try to reach the unchured and de-churched population in there community they often ask the wrong question. Man churches ask, “What can we do to attract people tour campus or worship service.” This is the wrong question and it will lead to the wrong answer. This question will cause the church to start new programs and develop new ministries. However, we all know that more is not always better. Actually, more can be the death nail for a church. Instead of trying to attract people to church, church leaders need to ask a different question.
The more appropriate question to ask is “What invisible barriers are keeping people away from out church?” While an attraction model might lead to more programs, this question will lead to a simple church and possibly a scaling back of programs. We have learned in the past few decades that the traditional Sunday morning “dress code” was a barrier for many people. Many people have to dress up all week long and do not want to put on a suit on Sunday too. However, some people simply cannot afford to “dress up.” The church at which I serve is located in an economically depressed area. As we try to reach out to out community we have discovered that many people do not have “Sunday clothes.” One of our pastors has a conversation with an African American lady. He discovered that she did not attend church on Sunday because she could not afford a “big fancy hat” to wear nor could her husband afford a nice suit. It is obvious that external factors keep people away from church, but what about the internal factors?
Apprehension about what to do in church keeps people away. This wall can be breached in several ways. Many churches have links on their websites that describe to potential quest what to expect when they arrive. Another answer to this dilemma is the Podcast. Numerous churches see the Podcast as an evangelistic tool. However, it can serve as a “marketing” tool as well. A quest will know what to expect form the sermon. She will know if the message is “hell-fire and brimstone” or if it is more topical and focused on life issues. Along the same lines churches can send CD’s or DVD’s into the community to let people know what to expect when they get to the worship service.
Another barrier to a potential guest might be your church building or campus itself. Our campus is over 100 acres and has 9 buildings. This can be really confusing to a guest especially if the signage explaining where to go is not strategically placed and informative. The answer to a confusing church or a campus might simply be new signs. A better answer might be the personal touch. You might want to station people at every entrance to your church or campus. These people can direct guest to the appropriate place. Even better than this solution, would be to direct them to a centralized welcome center. At the welcome center your “Guest Relations Expert” (AKA a friendly, well informed church member) can engage your guest in conversation and help them figure out where to go. This person can then take the guest to the appropriate place. The Guest Relations Expert (GRE) should first take the visiting family to the children’s and youth area and introduce them to the teacher for their child’s class. After the children are taken care of the GRE can take the parents to the mall group specially designed for them. However, it does not stop there. After the small group time, the GRE for the Adult class should walk the parents to pick up their children and then sit with them during the service. The GRE can act as a guide for the guest so they will know how to act during the service.
Christianity is about break down barriers. This was the goal of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. He broke down the barriers between God and humankind. I encourage you to look around your church and begin to identify the barriers that are keeping people away from your church. Only after you tear down the walls can you begin to ask the question, “What can we do to attract people to our now attractive church?
posted by j_cardinell at
12:55 PM
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