So you think your church is ‘welcoming’ or ‘friendly’. If so, score yourselves on these 20 tests designed to help you assess just how welcoming you are. Better still, ask some newcomers to carry out the exercise for you as they may be a bit more realistic in their scoring. There are
five test questions about the congregation;
five test questions about the service;
five test questions about the surroundings;
five test questions about the systems.
Each test has a short explanation. Here are four examples, one from each of the sets above. You score each one on a range of 0 (hopeless) to 5 (brilliant).
Are those sitting nearby appropriately welcoming?
Will any visitor feel awkward for any reason at any point?
Is the seating comfortable with suitable spaces for latecomers?
Are there clear next steps for visitors?
Training Notes TN109, A test for your church’s welcome, are now available without charge on the Training Notes page of John's website. Use these notes for your key decision makers and any Newcomers Team or welcomers.