Loading ...Dealing with Assimilation and Retention Issues
Every congregation deals with the issue of holding on to the guests that come into a congregation. Often in congregations the back door is as wide as the front door. For a congregation to grow, it must be working on a plan to close the back door. When guests visit, this is a prime opportunity to reach these people. These people are a gift from the Lord that have showed enough interest to walk into worship. If these people are leaving as quickly as they came, the congregation will be in decline. Assimilation and retention are essential for a growing church.
There are two keys in helping this process that I want to give today: The first key is to measure guest to retention rate. One must note all second time guests, not the first time guests because these people are too many and have too little invested interest. If the person comes back a second time, there is a genuine interest in the congregation. Note these people and develop a process to measure these people’s entrance into the congregation. This could go from worship, classes, services, and evangelism. How deep does the newcomer go into the congregation? Measure every second time guest to see the rate of retention.
The second key is to provide opportunities for newcomers to become friends with newcomers. For years, I was under the impression that the original members must be befriending these guests. This was the only way that retention would happen. After a while, I noticed that this was a pipe dream in church (though it is nice when established members do show interest in relationships with new people to the congregation). The long established members did not have a strong interest in befriending new people. This always disappointed me. But now I have a new perspective. Established members might make some overtures towards newcomers but realistically these people already have a larger friendship base in the congregation. These people are not looking for new friends. This is why the congregation must facilitate opportunities for the newcomers to make friends with other newcomers. This is the secret in maintaining people in the congregation. Track the process, it provides a true picture of reality and develop opportunities for guests to makes friends with other newcomers.
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Great thought about creating relationships between newcomers…I hadn’t thought about it that clearly before…thanks
You are welcome. I believe this is the direction churches should go. The other way, seems to not work well.
[...] Well Read Hostess placed an observative post today on Dealing with Assimilation and Retention IssuesHere’s a quick excerpt…too many and have too little invested interest. If the person comes back a … base in the congregation. These people are not looking for [...]
So what happens when the back door is wider than the front door of the church?
Grace and peace,
Rex
Death, and a quick one.
Actually,
In a church where the back door was wider than the front, I heard one church member comment how he was praying that members from other CoC’s would move to his city and become a part of the church. I thought how that is not only a denial of the real problem but also how all of that prayer energy could be channeled to the lost of the local community and for God to given them the wisdom and faith to effectively share the gospel with the lost. …But it certainly is easier to hope other Christians would move in and join the church rather than accept and deal with the real problem(s).
Grace and peace,
Rex