road to becoming fully developing followers of Jesus .
2 . Fun Events Fun events give people the chance to get to know each other in a more social environment , which leads to deeper connections and relationships . These events can be anything from a Saturday picnic in the park to a bowling night , a paintball game to a pottery class . If your city is hosting a big summer or fall festival , make it a fun event for your church . Invite everyone to meet up and go together .
Fun events are a perfect opportunity for your second-time guests to get involved for three reasons : They are ( 1 ) low-pressure , ( 2 ) lowcommitment , and , well , ( 3 ) lots of fun ! Because these events , by their very nature , draw different people every time , your second-time guests will be more likely to attend . They know that this will be a casual , one-time gathering , likely filled with people who don ’ t already know each other that well .
Planning your fun events strategically will pay off . In general , churches see their number of guests increase early in the year and then again in the fall . Keep that in mind when you are planning your fun events for the year . If you have a lot of second-time guests and new attenders in February , plan more events than usual in March . Give your guests as many opportunities as possible to say yes to connecting with others .
3 . Service Teams Another engagement opportunity we offer second-time guests is the chance to get involved with our service teams . If guests have been impressed with their initial experiences within your church , many of them will be interested in offering that service back to others . Giving them the opportunity to engage in service moves them further along the continuum of the assimilation process .
Service teams are particularly good at helping people stick to your church for several reasons . As with small groups and fun events , service teams provide an ideal opportunity for your second-time guests to form relationships with other people in the church . But serving also accomplishes some things above and beyond the critical friendship factor . It makes people feel alive . Serving is invigorating and incredibly rewarding . Plus , when you give your secondtime guests the opportunity to serve , they will begin to see your church in a different light . They will see themselves as givers rather than takers , which will lead to a sense of ownership .
“ Give your guests as many opportunities as possible to say yes to connecting with others .”
4 . Newcomer Receptions Hosting newcomer receptions is a great way for you to meet and talk with the new people God is bringing you . I suggest planning several Sunday afternoon newcomer receptions throughout the year , strategically scheduled one to two weeks after you ’ ve had a Big Day in your church — for example , after the kickoff of a new series , Easter , or any other Sunday that would likely bring a high number of guests . These newcomer
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