Don't Just Attract, Connect.

As pastors, we tend to focus much of our attention on how to best help people get to our worship services. Maybe we invite until we’re blue in the face. Maybe we use tools like social media and direct mail marketing. Maybe our strategy is to simply pray and hope people find their way to us. Regardless, our goal is to get as many people as possible worshipping Jesus on Sunday mornings.  

I have to say, that’s a great goal. Jesus wants people worshipping Him on Sunday morning for sure. But Sunday attendance isn’t our sole objective. We’re called to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). All the emphasis on getting people to our worship service is good and necessary, but we tend to be less intentional about connecting them to the life of the church once they're there. We tend to drastically underestimate how much work it is not just to attract people, but to actually keep them. This means we have to put a disproportionate amount of work into our connection ministries.  

You can’t disciple people you don’t connect, so here are two suggestions to get you started: 

1. Make it relational. 

It takes more work, but don’t put all your eggs in the basket of automation. No one likes to be followed up by a robot. People are automated to death in our culture so the best way to stand out is to make your follow up personal and relational. Send a handwritten card, make a personal phone call, type an individualized email. There is no shortage of ways to do it, but put in the work to make it relational.  

2. Make it repeatable. 

Consistency is critical to connection. Whatever method and means you use to connect people demands working the process again and again each week. This means sooner, rather than later, you’ll want to think about building a team of people with the passion and competency to help connect others to the church.  

Again, one of our most deeply help convictions (both Ridgeline and at myXP) is you can’t disciple people you don’t connect. Don’t forget about or "phone in" your connection ministry. Make it relational and repeatable. 

 If we can help you think through and implement your connection process, we’d be honored to help. Simply click HERE to schedule a time to connect.