These are comments you never want to hear as a leader in your church.
- “I visited your church and checked the ‘First Time Guest’ box on a card, but I never heard back from anyone.”
- “I spoke with a staff member, and they said they would call me, but I never got a call.”
- “I attended a training meeting and volunteered to help, but no one followed up with my next steps.”
When I hear statements like these, I cringe inside. Not because I think churches and people are required to be perfect, no organization is flawless, but because these slip-ups are avoidable. We get bored with systems and processes and let them slide, not fully realizing they are a key step to authentic relationships and meaningful ministry. Essentially – life change.
It’s the little things in your ministry that make a huge difference. They show that you care. It helps people feel seen and valued.
It’s the personal touch, the second-mile effort, and the keeping of system-based promises that make your church stand out and encourage people to engage.
Consistent people-centered follow-up is the most underestimated advantage for church growth.
Consistent people-centered follow-up is the most underestimated advantage for church growth.
Your various types of in-bound communication processes constitute part of a larger follow up system. One of the most common and effective tools is simply using a respond by text format. For example, text “Growth Track 37792.” Other methods still work like a tear-off card in the seatback, registrations using a tool like Wufoo, or your ChMS. The key is keeping your promise.
This is much more than just a mechanical system. Promise-keeping is a statement of who you are as a church.
An implied system-based promise is when someone reaches out or responds to your request or invite using your system – that you will in fact respond. To say it another way, the very presence of your system is a promise that you will respond.
Keeping your promise is a part of your church’s brand trust.
Keeping your promise is a part of your church’s brand trust.
When you consistently keep smaller promises, people will trust your larger promises with greater confidence.
The larger your church becomes, the more difficult this is to accomplish, but the greater the potential impact.
People need to know you care, and one important way they know you care is if you are willing to follow through on even the smallest of details. That communicates each person matters.
Once you have a system set up, the process of follow up isn’t that complicated. The key is consistency and making it easier for them, rather than easier for you. Simplicity and clarity makes the experience better for both.
When people know you care and that they matter, the likelihood they will continue to attend and engage more fully is exponentially increased.
As it relates to the people you spiritually shepherd, follow up is not merely about details and systems, it’s about creating and maintaining trust and establishing relationship. The details and systems are just a tool for engagement and relationship based on trust.
For many, these are their first steps toward spiritual formation.
Five teaching points to train your teams:
1) Follow-up is a demonstration of integrity.
When you do what you say you will do, people learn that they can count on you.
2) Follow-up is an expression of your brand promise.
3) Follow-up is often the beginning of something new and special.
It’s amazing to discover the blessings God brings from our faithfulness in the small things. Every time someone “signs up” they are stepping into a next and a new opportunity for God to move.
4) Follow-up communicates that you value someone.
It lets them know they matter to you, and that you care.
5) Follow-up is often the door to a person’s spiritual growth.
The connection creates a relationship and fosters engagement. It gives you the opportunity to help someone mature in their faith.
It’s amazing to discover the blessings God brings from our faithfulness in the small things.
Five practical tips for consistent follow-up:
1) Don’t build a church system you can’t sustain.
Churches often make the mistake of designing and implementing a follow-up process that is too complicated. Keep it simple – work it diligently.
One good rule of thumb is that if it takes you longer to deal with the system than to do the actual follow up, your system is too complicated. Teams won’t commit to complicated systems.
- Think people, not systems.
- Use systems, not people.
2) Develop a personal practice that works for you.
Not every aspect of follow-up is system-based. There is a great deal that is personal. This is about you and your people connections each week.
Follow up is not only about first-time guests.
For example, what is your phone call return practice? Within in 24 hours? 48 hours? If you don’t have a standard, your follow-up will breakdown every time.
If you are buried, people understand, but you need to communicate.
For example, if it’s Monday and it’s not feasible to call back that day, let them know. Send a quick response (text or email) that you received their call, email or text and that you will get back to them, (for example), on Thursday. The most important thing now, is that you must follow up on Thursday.
Write it down, put it in your calendar, make it happen.
3) Designate a leader to be responsible for the system.
Regardless of the size of your church, someone must take responsibility for each system, and the processes under that system.
In a smaller church, it might be a volunteer for the first-time guest follow up or prayer requests. In a large church, it might be a spiritual formation staff member at each campus who follows up on requests for a variety of things from baptism to next steps toward engagement.
The key question is, who owns each system?
Most churches are better at creating events than following up, but which one gets you closer to your real purpose of deeper engagement?
4) Delegate to volunteers if your staff can’t keep up.
If your church is experiencing rapid growth and your staff are overwhelmed with so many people to follow up, volunteers can do an excellent job helping you.
It’s important to make sure the volunteers are trained well, have the tools they need and understand the expectations. And of course, as always, express genuine gratitude and appreciation.
5) Design a way to measure and track your system.
This sounds like you are following up on your follow up. That’s exactly right! If you don’t keep track of your results, you will never know how well you are doing, or how you need to improve.
For example:
- How many guests identified themselves?
- What percentage of guests came to your “Next Steps” gathering?
- What percentage stepped into small groups and or serving from that “Next Steps” gathering at your church?
Establish a simple way to record and measure your results.
And keep in mind, it’s imperative that this process is clearly aligned and connected to your overall vision for life change, spiritual growth, and making a Kingdom difference.
You can design your own simple measurement process and there are sophisticated church management systems to assist you.
Strong and consistent follow up will make an amazing difference in your church.
