A well-trained church greeter team is a huge help to visitors who are brand new to your church. As you reach out to your community and invite them to Back to Church Sunday, you will find that many of your new visitors have never been to church before—ever. Your church is like a foreign country to them! They don’t know the customs, they don’t know the language and they don’t know their way around. That is where a church greeter comes in.
A good church greeter can make your visitors feel welcome, relaxed and more comfortable. And they are your best testimony! They show how wonderful and helpful your church is. With a properly trained team, your visitors feel like they have already started to make friends simply by walking through the door. How do you build this amazing team? Here are some ways turn your volunteers into super greeters.
Be Friendly, But Not Overbearing
Going to a new church can be a scary experience for some people, especially those who have never been before. While you want your greeters to be friendly, you don’t want new visitors to feel smothered or uncomfortable. Coach your volunteers to follow the lead of the guest and adjust their approach accordingly. You can also designate your best “people readers” to be your main greeters. They will be able to hand off new people with a greeter who best fits the new guest’s personality style.
Don’t Just Point the Way. Lead the Way.
Instead of just pointing the way, your church greeters should be willing and able to escort your guests around your church. They should also introduce visitors to the children’s ministry leaders and volunteers, show them where to get refreshments and help them find a seat. This means you will need a few volunteers willing to greet each Sunday—so that there is always someone at the door while other members of the team escort new people.
Dress the Part
Help your greeters stand out from the rest of your members. Provide them with a distinctive name tag or t-shirts that shows your visitors they are helpers. Even if your church is more casual, make sure they dress in the absolute best representation of that particular style, so they look professional. Some churches supply shirts or smocks to their greeting teams so that they are easily recognizable (and no one has to worry about what to wear).
Show Your Appreciation
One of the most important things to remember with any volunteer team in your ministry is to thank them often and recognize their hard work. Greeters give up a lot of personal time to welcome new visitors. They have to show up earlier, leave later and always be “on” so that guests can have a positive experience. Give them a shout-out before services, thank them in your weekly bulletin, give them small tokens of appreciation … just let them know you love their help and that their work is helping to bring more families to Christ.
You’ve probably already got several great volunteers who help you at your outreach events and during Sunday services. With these helpful insights, you can help them do the best job possible! They’ll make a great first impression and help your guests feel welcome.
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