We get excited when we have a new person (guest) come to our Sunday School class or small group, but what are we doing to follow up with those guests to make them feel welcome and part of the group. Everyone wants to belong and feel as though he or she is a part of the group. Assuming the class has gotten appropriate information from the guests and made the guests feel welcome during the class time, here are five practical ways to follow up later with guests who have come to your Sunday School class or small group. Use one or all of the contact methods to make a positive impression on your guests.
1. Call the guests. It is best to call within 48 hours of when the person visits your class. This indicates your interest and that you were glad he came. The call should focus on letting the person know that you were glad he came and to see if he has any questions about your Sunday School class, small group, or the church. If you don’t know the answers to his questions, find out and get back with him. You might want to get to know the guest a little better by gathering additional historical information, such as where did you grow up, where did you go to school, where do you work, where have you been attending church, etc. Make your call short so you do not infringe on the person’s time.
2. Email the guests. Email is more common than regular mail in today’s culture. It is an easy way to communicate with guests. Express your happiness that he or she attended and that you hope they will return. Direct them to the church website for additional information on the church. Offer to provide answers to any questions he or she may have.
3. Send a note to the guests. Even though email is a common form of communication, a guest will be impressed that you took the time to actually write a note and mail it. In the note express your thankfulness that he attended and offer to provide any information to questions he may have.
4. Invite the guests. Invite the guests to a social, fellowship, party, or special event at the church. You can also invite them to your home for a meal or to go out to a restaurant. Invite the guest to be your friend on Facebook or to “like” your church’s Facebook page.
5. Assign the guests. Ask someone in the class who may live in the same area as the guest, work in the same type of job, has similar interests, or is of similar age and stage in life as the guest to make contact and develop a relationship.
Share your comments on these ideas and other methods you have used to follow-up with guests who come to your Sunday School class or small group.
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