The G.I.F.T. Plan for Friendlier Churches
Would you like your church to be friendlier to newcomers? The problem usually isn’t that people don’t want to be friendly, they just don’t know how.
In a big church, the friendliest people are trained to serve on the First Impressions team. But in a small church, everyone is on the First Impressions team (like it or not), so they all need training.
The G.I.F.T. Plan for Friendlier Churches increases the friendliness of your church immediately, painlessly, and permanently!
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The G.I.F.T. Plan is simple, but revolutionary! Just encourage every regular attender to do at least one of these every week:
GREET someone you’ve never met
- Welcome them if they’re new.
- Learn their name
- Offer to sit with them.
INTRODUCE people to each other
- After meeting someone, make sure they meet others, too.
- Connect people who have something in common.
- Introduce guests to the pastor, teens to the youth leader, kids and parents to the KidMin director, and so on.
FOLLOW UP on someone you met recently (or don’t know well)
- Say ”hi” again.
- Call them by name.
- Include them in your group of friends.
- Invite them to lunch.
THANK someone who did something you appreciate
- Give a thumbs up to the audio/visual team.
- Offer a “way to go!” to the worship leader.
- Thank the Sunday School teacher for encouraging your child.
It’s simple, doable, and repeatable.
No one is expected to do all four each week, but imagine a church in which everyone Greeted, Introduced, Followed Up, or Thanked someone every week!
It would truly be a GIFT to their guests and to the entire church.
