While I have been out visiting churches it occurred to me that I am very much like someone looking for a new church home. I come to the church like a secret shopper with a checklist and an agenda. I’ve noticed that the things I am sampling are more of the objective, doctrinal, programatic part of the church. I take the temperature, measure the atmospheric pressure, and record the direction and the intensity of the wind. It’s not only like a consumer might approach a purchase, but it is also how a scientist approaches an experiment (observation and evaluation from outside the system). I’m not there so much to engage as to observe and collect data.
It’s also very interesting to me that the most substantive parts of church life (community and relationship) many times are not part of the initial evaluation unless they have a family member or friend in the church. It is this very subjective part of the church that will ultimately determine whether they will ever connect and make it their church home.
Notes to Self – As a leader, there are a few realities that I must keep in mind about those that may be investigating our church and our faith.
- I need to make the basic information that most visitors are interested in easy for them to get – put it on the middle shelf. Best practice – can they find it themselves and serve themselves. This includes web based resources but there is still a need for the visitor to leave with something physical that offers answers to the questions that they might have.
- I don’t need to “close the deal” on their first visit to our church (sign them up for a membership class). I need to satisfy their initial concerns/questions and earn a second visit.
- It is a process that people go through from looking for a church home to being a faithful member. Relational buy-in is incremental as trust increases. Each interaction with the church should not only offer acceptance, genuine relationship, and love but also an invitation to deeper relationship.
Church Shopaholics
While church shopping is a necessary season in some people’s lives, it can become an obsession that is not healthy for the person or the church. The search for the perfect church can change a church shopper into a church hopper and there are some real dangers for church hoppers.
- Church hoppers focus on the objective, the outside perspective of the church, rather than on the relational essence of being the church and a follower of Christ.
- Church hopping cultivates a perspective of the church as a service supplier rather than a family.
- Church hopping breeds an attitude of dissatisfaction and an unhealthy focus on self.
- The fruit of church hopping is loneliness and a lack of fulfillment. Self is never enough.
Caution to Self – Be careful how I invest in church hoppers and be very careful how I introduce and connect them to the church family.
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