#542. Gospel Gift Bags for First Time Visitors
May 18th by JonIf you won’t accept the gift of salvation as a first time visitor to our church, the very least we can do is send you home with this lovely parting gift. A loaf of bread? A CD message from the pastor? A mug with our church logo on it, featuring a dove, open Bible, sun rising through the “O” in our name and a lamb lying longingly?
You never know what you’ll find in the Gospel Gift Bag we often give first-time visitors. But what if we put what they really needed in it?
1. “Get out of offering free” cards.
We all do that “apologize to the first-time visitors that happen to have come on the one Sunday a year when you preach on money” thing, so let’s just go all the way. Let’s print up a small stack of little Monopoly-sized cards that say, “I’m just visiting.” That way, when the offering plate comes around, the visitors will have something to throw in without feeling weird.
2. An insider’s church map.
Forget the map that shows you where the bookstore is. Visitors need to know the inside information that normally takes years to learn. Where’s the secret bathroom that’s unmarked, looks like a supply closet from the outside, and is actually the cleanest one in the building? Which Sunday school classroom has a teacher who’s friendly and won’t try to force you to volunteer the minute she sees you? Where’s the free coffee and the donuts that are fresh, not left over from last week? These are the kinds of things you need on a map.
3. A seating chart.
Increase the chances of someone coming back to your church by about 105% by giving them a detailed sanctuary seating chart. Where do the people who sing with their eyes closed sit? Who’s going to give you either an awkward or an awesome frontal hug, depending on your preference, during the meet and greet? Where do the dancers and hand raisers sit? The guy who’s locked down his favorite seat for the last 14 years and is likely to put me in a sleeper hold if I accidentally sit there–where does that guy sit?
When people say, “Jon Acuff is changing his generation and perhaps how church as we know it works,” these are the ideas they’re referring to. You’ll probably become a megachurch and need to build a bigger parking lot if you include these items in your Gospel Gift Bag. But if you do, make sure you include which parking lot attendant is most skilled at getting people home. That information is gold and exactly the kind of thing a visitor really needs to know.
Comments
Nice. You mean you all don’t put in coupons in the offering like Homer? 30 cents off shake-n-bake.
the best part is the travel sized grape juice samplers – much like the small alcohol bottles on airlines, just oh-so-much holier…perfect for that midnight communion re-enactment to give the visitor a flashback of the service sacraments!
I’m making all of these recommendations at the next planning meeting. I often thought it would be cool to have a computer based seating reservation like for airline tickets. It could show you what seat is available. Give a code to the visitor to be able to prebook early for next Sunday.
“A Lamb lying longingly?!?”
I appreciate the alliteration, but I’m a little confused, even disturbed, by what this might mean.
It is ironic, these little gift bags. We give them all these reminders of their experiences from our churches. But the thing is, if they come back, they won’t need the reminders. And if they don’t come back, they won’t actually want to be reminded.
Wouldn’t it be better if we gave them a map to some other churches instead? Or a CD with a different pastor’s message on it?
I love the “get out of offering free” cards. Very funny stuff.
gold. all of these are amazing ideas. there is probably someone rushing to the printer right now.
Of course, you need someone who is competent at spotting visitors to hand out the bags. Otherwise you’re stuck with a little notice in the order of service, mentioning that they’re available from ‘Bob in the chancel after the prayers of intercession’. That never goes well…
the person most competent at spotting visitors is the town gossip…..perfect ministry for them
All great ideas… especially the secret bathroom that all churches have. Personally I also think some lovely snack items would be good… like skittles. Of course, with the economy, many churches could switch to “toll titheing” where you can get in free… but can’t get out without dropping something in the toll plaza. You could include toll tokens.
I just wan to say you shouldn’t clue visitors in on the secret bathroom for the obvious reason of ruining the secret bathroom. It’s only clean and quit because it is not well known. Once the word gets out then it will be the most used bathroom. The secret bathroom is usually a one seat job and is often for guys and girls so imagine the line if mroe than a handful of people know.
No the trick is to setup a false secret bathroom by removing the signs from a normal bathroom then putting it on the map. The visitor will assume you are really trying to help them out but that all the other visitors have been helped as well and so the secret bathroom is now really popular. The upside is that this will help protect the real secret bathroom as well.
I love the idea of a map, but I think it should be posted right outside, like those maps you find at the mall. Forget the secret bathroom; I’ve been to churches where I can barely find my way to the sanctuary.
ROFL! Because of our travelling, I’ve been to quite a few churches and have received a variety of “First Time Visitor Goodies”. Funny, there was never a Bible in any of them. I’m just saying.
ah yes. Our church gives them out. It came with a nice pen the whole family wants for themselves, a chocolate bar with “holy” nutrition facts such as: “one generous serving of hospitality and Christ’s love. * Percent Daily Value (DV) are based on our dedication to ensuring your eternal salvation.” There was a travel coffee mug with the church logo, and my favorite item… a pack of Life Savers candy.
Get out of offering free cards- brilliant, Jon!
Yesterday I noticed a church close to my house has one parking spot marked with a sign reading: “First Time Visitor.” (It was a better parking spot than the handicap spots!)
I have so many questions. Do they do something to your car like put church flyers on the windshield? Do they block you in so you can’t make a quick and anonymous getaway after church? What if there’s more than one first time visitor? If you are a second time visitor, will you get penalized for parking in the first time visitor spot?
The perfect goody bag would include: mints,gum,bottled water,kashi breakfast bar,chap stick,tissues,tylenol,thinline bible,small pamphlet w/brief and accurate overview of church/seating chart of whos who/whats where ,starbucks gift certif, another one for lunch at crackerbarrel for a q&a with the pastor and staff, and a scl coupon-for when the book comes out.oh-and a lottery ticket.I would seriously go back the following week.(unless of course the q&a at crackerbarrel revealed this really isn't the place for you,for any miniscule/or huge reason),but you'd always remember the really cool goody bag,for sure
How about making an alternative gift bag that has brochures of other churches in the area? “Screaming baby family—make sure they get the other bag.”
For classic old churches like mine, why not an Ecclesiological-English dictionary (pocket size) that defines such terms as undercroft, intimations and ambulatory (the noun, not the adjective)?
http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780819223296-0 Way more up-to-date than the 50year old books I had to dig from the depths of the church library when I went from Pentecostal to Episcopalian. And was that ever a switch.
Our church hands out those gift bags, sans “get out of offering free” cards. But they do put those little starlight mints in there.
Do we really leave that bad a taste in their mouths?
Thank you for starting my Monday off with LOL post! Love it! I am definately sharing this with our staff…who knows…we may at least get rid of the mugs…
Wow, laprez.
You have given this some considerable thought. That gift bag would rock!
We have thinline bibles at the greeters table, but in a church as small as ours, it’s not like we’re not going to make a visitor feel welcome. We welcome them so much they’re afraid to come back!
A great way to recognize the visitors is to have them all stand up to be recognized. Then those in charge of handing out the goody bags can easily find the visitors.
After all, the whole point of having church is growing numbers of people, a sure sign of success. what else could there be?
We actually have the “get out of offering free cards,” except for instead of money you get to put all of your contact information on the card so we can stalk you relentlessly into coming back…so maybe you don’t really get out of offering free.
We also do the mugs…and refer to it as “mugging” the visitors The debate is still out on whether this is clever or just a little disturbing.
Hilarious as usual…but wow, #1′s actually not a bad idea…
How about the pastor allows all firt timers to leave five minutes early so they can be first to get lunch (supper)?
I went and visited a church a couple weeks ago. I got a 365 day devotional book, a mug with the church logo on it (no lambs or sunrises, though). If I had a get out of offering free card, that would have been ten times better than getting stared down by the usher.
Loved this post – but is the first-time-visitor-goodie-bag a US phenomenon? I can’t imagine it in the UK! I have been to lots of churches here and never received (or expected) ANYthing – until visiting what has become my current church where I was given a copy of “Irresistible Revolution”. I was well and truly hooked after that.
I love the get out of offering free card! I have had the awkward misfortune of visiting churches on 'tithing guilt' day haha.
I also think they should include a list of the names of all the women who can actually cook. That way if the church has a visitor's pot luck, an unsuspecting Mr or Mrs Visitor wont take a huge dollop of what they thought was tasty foodstuffs & end up in the emergency room. I've had some veeeery interesting church-food experiences. scary scary times.
Haha…we don’t give them to first time visitors, but my church’s ultimate favorite gift to give is a couple of 100th anniversary plates. I was too young when my church actually had its 100th anniversary to know whose idea they were in the first place, but they have a picture of our church building on them and I have never ever seen someone use one. We like to give them to pastors or other longtime members who for whatever reason have to leave our church…I think they actually put a box of them in someone’s car in secret because he refused to take them.
My church gives out insulated bags with the church’s logo on the front. They’re pretty cool.
I remember when I moved to dfw about three years ago, I visited a lot of churches. Not all had a first time visitor swag bag. My favorite ftv moment was the pastoral meet-n-greet with punch at a church.
Like Sally, I’m from the UK so the idea of gift bags is kind of baffling, but I really like the sound of your ideas.
I think a book of Church terms would be handy, especially for the people who’ve never been to Church at all before.
One time my husband and I visited a church, and they gave us a jar of jelly. THAT was weird.
Katdish-
actually,most of that stuff is in my pocketbook anyway-except the lotto ticket of course
I’ve been “mugged” when visiting a church before. I thought it was pretty amusing.
Get out of offering free cards are a fantastic idea. Why has no one thought of it before!?!
However, I’ve got to put my foot down on the insider’s church map. We’ve slaved hard, er, ministered to be a part of the church, we can’t be giving that info out to just any visitor who walks in the door. They need to sweat drops of blood before they get my fresh donuts and volunteer evading techniques.
wv: revis – a repeat visitor. Not a first-timer, but still not accepted as a regular attender. “Do you see the revis in row 7? They still use the restrooms by the children’s classrooms.”
My church has this down somewhat. The “goodie bag”, which has tools to help someone new to the faith, is only given out to people who recently accepted Christ into their lives, and is given away upon request. There is also a brief 10-minute meeting offered after the service for newcomers to learn about the church and ask any questions.
However, no get-out-of-offering-free cards are offered. The offering just proceeds, after someone prays for it. Is it implicit that guests should pass it up?
wv – porsio – act of adding an outdoor living/reclining area to one’s abode.
You are too funny!
Interesting about offering a bible, though I think most people actually have one, or can easily get one. Although when I was in college my boyfriend was really into church (that sounds awkward, but I don’t know how to put it any other way, he was) and I used to go with him.
Anyway, I lived in a little tiny dorm barely big enough to fit all of my school supplies let alone anything extra, and somehow someday it came up that I didn’t have a bible (I actually did, from my First Communion, it was just at my parents house with all of my other stuff). Anyway, his suggestion was that I steal one from his church. He said they would actually want me to. (I didn’t if you’re wondering, I think he eventually bought me one. I know, romantic, right?).
So… my question is; do churches tend to encourage bible thievery?
A great way to recognize the visitors is to have them all stand up to be recognized.I’ve visited churches that have done that (or done the reverse and have the members stand up to greet the visitors who are still sitting). I’ve also never gone back to any of them. If there’s one sure-fire way to scare visitors off, that would be it. (I also have never parked in the visitors’ parking, preferring the “anonymity” that comes from parking in the “regular” spots.
speaking of parking lot attendants, a few years ago i went to a night service church in which a cop graciously offered to direct traffic for the services. he was hit. twice.
has this happened at any other places?!
I’d consider including a button to pin on your lapel that reads: “Yes, I am a visitor but I also happen to be quite SAVED (thank you).”
As one who likes to check out many of the churches in a given local- I’ve often been a bit ‘un-nerved’ by all good and well meaning church members who have seemed to assume that just because they have never seen me before … could only that I am a lost heathen.
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