Following up with first-time visitors
For welcome teams, pastors and church offices · about a 5-minute read
The short answer
- Make the first visit easy, and don't single people out.
- Ask, don't take. Invite visitors to share their details, and ask only for what you'll actually use.
- Follow up within a few days, from one real person, and keep it short.
- Keep their details private, in one place, seen by as few people as possible, and delete them when you no longer need them.
- Count how many visitors come back. That number tells you more than the number who came once.
On the day
- Clear signs for parking, the entrance, restrooms and the children's areas.
- A greeter at each door who offers help without a sales pitch.
- An usher who helps them find a seat. Many visitors prefer one near the back or on an aisle.
- If you welcome visitors from the front, don't ask them to stand or raise a hand. Many people find that uncomfortable.
- Tell them what happens next: how long the service is, and where to go for coffee or questions afterwards.
What to ask for
A connection card (paper, or a form on your website) works well if filling it in is optional and it's clear what happens next.
| Ask | Don't ask |
|---|---|
| Name | Date of birth or age |
| One way to reach them (email or phone), and which they prefer | Home address, unless they want a visit or a letter |
| Whether they'd like someone to get in touch | Health details, unless they choose to share them in person |
| Optional: "How did you hear about us?" | Anything about their children beyond what a parent offers |
Say on the card who will contact them and how, for example "Someone from our welcome team will email you once this week." Then do exactly that.
When and how to follow up
- Within two or three days: a short, personal message from one named person. Thank them for coming and offer to answer questions. No forms, no long newsletter.
- About a week later: an invitation to one specific next thing, such as a newcomers' lunch, a small group or a midweek service.
- Then stop unless they reply. Add them to a mailing list only if they ask to join it.
For a family, contact the parents, never the children.
Keeping their details private
- One list, in one place. Not on a clipboard that stays in the lobby, and not copied into several spreadsheets.
- Only the people who follow up can see it.
- Keep prayer requests, health and family situations out of it. If someone shares something personal, pass it on in person to the pastor.
- Delete what you no longer need, for example a few months after the last contact. Tell visitors you do this if they ask.
Data protection laws differ by country and state. If you're unsure what applies to your church, ask someone qualified.
Did they come back?
Count first-time visitors every week, and check each month how many of them came a second time. If that number is low, the welcome or the follow-up needs work. If few first-time visitors come at all, the problem is further out: your website, your signs, or whether people know you exist.
How PewPin does this
In PewPin, an usher can mark a seat as a first-time visitor while counting, on every plan. Trends (on the paid plan) then show first-time visitors month by month.
With visitor names, also on the paid plan, an usher can add a visitor's name to their seat for follow-up. Names are only for visitors, never children. They never show on the seating chart, viewers can't see them, and they're deleted automatically after 30 days, 90 days or a year. PewPin refuses phone numbers, emails, and health or prayer notes in a name, so contact details belong on your connection card.
Counting and the last four weeks of reports are free, with no time limit.
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