Every pastor knows that Easter and Christmas are two Sundays that are most likely to attract the unchurched and the de-churched to attend. You probably have given thought to your Christmas or Advent services already, since we’re just a few weeks away.

Between now and Christmas, you’ll probably

• brainstorm ideas
• decorate the Sanctuary
• rehearse special music or programs
• recruit prayer warriors
• pray God does something great

But have you built systems to capture what God does?  Or will your guests who walk through your door that Sunday… walk back out until next Christmas?  What can you do to keep from wasting the big day?  Here are four ideas you need to think about in advance:

1. Capture their information.

As I’ve written before, one of the biggest regrets I have about some of my early outreach efforts, was that I didn’t know the power of harvesting information.  Without the ability to continue the conversation, those one-time guests… slip through your fingers.  One of the best ways to show concern and care is to get someone’s info and keep the conversation going.  When you get someone’s info, you’re practicing what Seth Godin calls Permission Marketing.  It’s the permission to continue the conversation, to build trust.  Whether it’s a pastoral visit, a text, a phone call, or a personal note, you’re working on the relationship.

And if you’re going to keep working on it, the core of a guest follow-up strategy is your connection card.

If you want an editable copy of this, email me at darrell@newstartdiscipleship.com, and I’ll send you a Canva link. 🙂 

2. Give them something to come back for.

I know that God has to draw them to Jesus… but He may want to use your plan to do it!  So plan to give them every reason to come back!

• Start a new series after the New Year.  Announce it on Christmas.
• Have promotional materials available for that next series.
• Schedule a church dinner for the launch week (If you’re a small church pastor.)
• Do a 30-day Church Attendance Challenge.

This is going to take pre-planning.  Look over the graphic designs (paid and free) on CreationSwap.com.  Get someone to design a postcard or series graphic for you on Fiverr.  Get it printed up in advance with GotPrint.com or VistaPrint.com.

3. Follow up on them intentionally.

What kind of contact do you have with your 1st time guests through the week after they visit?  For many churches, the basic plan is, “Give them a generic pencil, and tell them we hope they come back soon.”

You’re going to need a more intentional, on-purpose plan.  

And what if they pray for salvation? You need a discipleship pathway that’s ready-to-go. 

In fact, I’d recommend checking out the free discipleship tools from NewStart Discipleship. If you’re not sure how to go about disciple-making, you can get some free discipleship training here, or you can download my 35 page free guide by dropping your email right here:

4. Have something ready for those who decide to follow Jesus.

This is something I used to do badly. But not these days. I’ve gotten way more intentional about being ready for new Christians.

Think about giving them:

• A Bible in a readable translation (not everyone has one!)
• a letter from the pastor
• a discipleship journal or Bible reading plan for new Christians

It doesn’t have to be perfect.  But you should have a plan!

If you want to download my secret tool for giving to a brand-new believer, drop your email here and I’ll send it over for free: