“The person who handed me the bulletin actually did not greet me, which I thought was very odd. The children’s minister came over to me and introduced herself, which was very welcoming, but she was the only one who interacted with me before the service. I thought that the greeter should have at least said hello to me and welcomed me.” – Faith Perceptions Mystery Guest

Have you ever walked into a store and the salespeople don’t even acknowledge you? They don’t ask what brings you in or if they can help you find anything. Instead, they completely ignore you. It makes you feel uncomfortable, particularly if you do need assistance.

Now think about how newcomers feel when they’re brushed off or completely ignored by some of the first people they meet at your church. It’s not a stretch to say they probably feel just as uncomfortable and unwelcome. They may even be reluctant to come back.

3 Things Your Church Greeters are Doing Wrong

1. They Don’t Make Eye Contact
At some point we’ve all been “greeted” at church by someone who never even looks at us. Instead, they stand at the door, eyes toward the floor, mumble a “good morning”, and hand out bulletins without so much as a smile. This doesn’t make regular attendees or guests feel welcome.

2. Avoid Conversation or Answering Questions
Some church greeters make eye contact and even say hello, but they do their best to avoid answering questions or getting drawn into conversations. Perhaps they assume someone else will help any newcomers, so they don’t have to. Regardless, it’s not a good first impression. People who don’t want to engage in conversation or offer any assistance don’t have a knack for hospitality and shouldn’t be serving on your greeters’ ministry.

3. Engage in Conversation with their Friends
This is probably the worst mistake church greeters make: getting caught up in conversations with their friends and just casually handing out bulletins to guests. It makes newcomers feel as though their attendance isn’t worth anyone’s time and attention. Plus, it gives off the impression that your church is cliquey, which is off-putting to newcomers who feel left out.

3 Ways to Improve Your Greeters’ Ministry

1. Recruit the Right People
Start by getting the right people to serve on your greeters’ ministry. These people should be naturally friendly, outgoing, and excited to share this ministry with guests. Creating a ministry description (like you would for a job) outlining the mission and vision will help volunteers understand what’s expected while weeding out members who aren’t a good fit for the team.

2. Have a Team Rotation
Even some of the friendliest, outgoing people will resort to some of the mistakes listed above when they’re feeling tired and burnt out. Having a rotating team of church greeters can prevent feelings of burnout while also providing appropriate coverage and backups when needed. This ensures you’ve always got a team of greeters who are ready and excited to welcome guests, answer their questions, and point them in the right direction at each and every service.

3. Meet Regularly
Regular greeters’ meetings are also a good idea to keep everyone informed, discuss schedules, and explore areas for improvement. They allow you to provide ongoing training of best practices for engaging in conversations with both members and guests. They can discuss the good and bad at their meetings to see if there’s anything they can implement and improve upon. These meetings also give your volunteers time to get to know each other and build strong relationships, which only further serves the overall mission of making everyone feel welcome.

Too many churches overlook the importance of their greeters’ ministry and this first impression. If you want to make people feel welcome, you need a team of church greeters at every service ready to answer questions and offer up important information with a friendly “hello” and a smile. These volunteers will transform your ministry from cold and distant to warm and welcoming, encouraging guests to return.

How is your greeters’ ministry doing? Are your church greeters friendly and inviting or are they making one (or more!) of the mistakes listed above? If you’d like an unbiased perspective on your greeters’ ministry, our mystery guest program can help. Each week we send hundreds of mystery guests into churches across the country and they report back on their experiences with everything from the parking lot to the church greeters to the services themselves. Contact us for more information or to get started.