Every week, (this is week 10) I’m walking through the doors of a different church. Some tiny, some huge, some steeped in tradition, others breaking every rule in the book. I’m looking for those moments that make you stop and think, “Wow, that’s brilliant” or simple things another church could be doing. Navigate through the insights below or jump straight to individual topics that catch your eye in the Table of Contents.
With fresh updates rolling in weekly, this collection will become a treasure trove of proven church strategies. I hope pastors, volunteers, and congregation members can find inspiration in these stories and maybe adapt some of these approaches to fit their own church’s unique context and community.
Since I’m just dropping in for one service (and who knows, the main pastor might not be preaching), I’m not going to dive into whether (IMHO) the theology of the message was solid or not, but that’s obviously 1st order stuff you need to focus on getting right all the time.
Warning: Don’t try to duplicate other churches! (Special Audio Message)
Limited Space? Limited Budget?
Use our AI prompts in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or Perplexity to customize these ideas and make them work perfectly for your unique circumstances.
The first church I attended was a very small country church. No lobby, and certainly no cafe. Here’s a prompt you can use to transform any idea to fit your situation. Adjust as needed.
We promise! You’ll be amazed at the results!
Copy and paste the text below into any AI tool like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or Perplexity. You’ll then then be prompted to enter the specific idea you’d like to implement.
I’m part of a small church with limited space and resources. I want to adapt a great idea I saw from a larger church, but it’s designed for a bigger facility and more people.
Please help me do the following:
Identify the core purpose behind the idea.
Suggest 3–5 practical ways to implement it in a smaller church (under 100 people) with limited space (1–2 rooms, no auditorium).
Offer ideas for low-cost materials, volunteer roles, or simple tech that could make it work.
Keep the tone encouraging and realistic for small teams.
You should immediately respond to this prompt with a question asking the user for the first great idea.
We understand that resources whether money, staff, or volunteers can be extremely limited. Use the prompt below to discover how to maximize impact with what you have available. Adjust as needed.
We promise! You’ll be amazed at the savings!
Copy and paste the text below into any AI tool like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or Perplexity. You’ll then then be prompted to enter the specific idea you’d like to implement with limited resources.
I’d love to implement an idea at our church, but we need to be mindful of budget and time constraints.
Can you help me:
Identify the core purpose behind the idea
Suggest 3–5 ways to implement it with minimal cost and time investment
Recommend affordable materials, simple tech, or time-saving volunteer strategies
Please keep the ideas practical, scalable, and focused on getting results without overextending our people or funds.
You should immediately respond to this prompt with a question asking the user for the first great idea.
1. Before Entering the Church
First impressions begin before the handshake. Here’s how your church can win hearts before anyone walks through the doors.
Hallelujah Highlights
A church I visited had outdoor speakers playing music to create an atmosphere even before you left your car. Loved it! Outdoor Bluetooth speakers are quite affordable, making this a viable option even for smaller churches.
If your church has multiple entrances and parking areas on different sides, directional signage is extremely helpful for first-time visitors. I once arrived at a church and went to the chapel, only to find the doors locked—it turned out that space was only used for the early service, and the service I was attending was held in a completely different building.
*Friendly parking attendants and golf carts work well at larger churches, but smaller congregations can have volunteers/teenagers keep an eye on the parking lot to assist anyone who might need help.
Bonus points to churches that reserve prime parking for first-time guests. Most guests probably won’t take the special spot because they don’t want to stand out, but they’ll remember that you thought of them.
2. Social Media/Website/Streaming
You might find it interesting that I don’t check social media before visiting a church because I want to see if the actual atmosphere matches their online presence. Unfortunately, many churches still struggle with streaming quality.
Hallelujah Highlights
If you don’t have the budget or staff for high-quality streaming, consider buying an inexpensive Bluetooth microphone that connects to your phone and have someone in the front pew record. AI software can find the best snippets which can be uploaded to social media during the next week.
If you’re streaming, ensure someone is monitoring the chat and engaging with online viewers. Across all the streaming services I’ve watched, there’s a significant lack of connection with the online audience.
3. Entering the Lobby
When new people attend, they have no idea what to expect. Beyond saying hello, what can you do to make someone feel truly welcome?
Hallelujah Highlights
Depending on the church size, I’ve found it’s really nice to have an “usher” figure just inside the entrance (who also says hello) that points you in the right direction, answer questions, etc.
One church I attended had this little cafe with pastries and fruit cups. When I looked into it more, turns out they were using all the money from that to fund their missions work and counseling services.
Having two friendly people at each entrance is a nice touch because that immediately provides two warm greetings. Have you thought about who is doing the greeting? Is it males, females, kids, or a mix? Most churches seem to use female greeters when people enter and more males when the service is over. It’s something worth considering and having a strategy that works for you.
Depending on the church size, I’ve found it’s really nice to have an “usher” figure just inside the entrance (who also says hello) that points you in the right direction, answer questions, etc.
A little welcome booth right by the sanctuary entrance works really well. I always appreciated churches that had a visitor bag or packet but didn’t pressure me to provide my information first thing. You could decide later if you wanted to connect more formally.
Most medium to large churches with a lobby area will ask visitors straight away if they want to register. One growing church I visited used a swag bag as extra motivation. It included a free premium coffee drink (which was delicious), a branded pen, paper, cup, breath mints, QR code sheets to *Linktree, and a silicone wristband. At minimum, first-time visitors should probably leave with something that has your information or contact details, so they’ll remember you. *Linktr.ee is one service, but a list of links can easily be shared using a page on your own website.
One church had a really thoughtful approach. They set up a sign-up table but didn’t pressure anyone to fill out the welcome course, specifically mentioning I could fill it out later if I felt called to do so. They also had coffee mugs and other promotional items available but offered to hold them so I could collect them on my way out. It was a smart strategy that removed any sense of obligation.
What impressed me most was how the two women staffing the table shared their personal experiences. They talked about how long they’d been attending, how they discovered the church, and what their journey had been like there. It felt authentic and meaningful.
You could see they were mostly focused on building genuine connections rather than just collecting contact information. That’s an approach that will really resonate. It’s less about the registration forms and more about creating personal connections with people.
4. The Sanctuary/Before Service Begins
Growing churches almost always have people checking on visitors and existing members, making connections before the sermon begins.
Hallelujah Highlights
If you have a big screen, have you thought about having announcements scrolling on screen before the service so the formal announcements can be shorter?
What can visitors actually see when they look at the chair pockets or cubbies in front of them? One church I visited had a few different items including their new visitor registration card. You’re thinking… What’s unique about that? All you could initially see was “WELCOME HOME. NEW TO CHURCH?” which I thought was a really good strategy.
One church had permanent QR code stickers on the floor underneath the seats in front of you, linking to their Linktree that showcased all their ministries and programs.
From where I sat in one church, I could see four crosses throughout the sanctuary, including a prominent one on the stage, plus another that greeted visitors right at the entrance.
Putting nice slim/thin line Bibles in the chair pockets at the end of each row is pretty smart. Visitors usually grab those aisle seats when they’re available, so you’re hitting your target audience without having to buy extra Bibles.
One worship team I saw huddled up on the side of the stage for prayer and put their hands together like a sports team hyping each other up. I couldn’t catch what they said at the end, but there are tons of cool things you could do like “Faith!” or “Jesus!” or “Glory!”
5. Welcome of New Visitors
If people who’ve been coming for years still don’t feel welcomed, newcomers are doomed from the start.
Hallelujah Highlights
Pastor asking everyone to welcome new members with applause.
Pastor welcoming new members and explicitly stating before the offering that they don’t expect any donations from first-time visitors.
Pastor or staff walking around before the service, introducing themselves to new faces, and making an effort to remember their first names and repeating your first name. (*the swag bags make it easier to identify new visitors)
While practices around communion vary widely among denominations, one church made it a welcoming priority to invite all believers to participate, regardless of their home congregation.
Most of you have probably experienced those moments in church services where everyone’s asked to get up and greet visitors or other attendees. I’d seen this plenty of times before, but recently I encountered something new: a church that put a 60-second countdown timer right up on the screen during this greeting time.
I have to say, this approach works so much better than the usual “turn and greet the person next to you” method. The timer creates this sense of urgency that actually motivates people to move around and connect with as many others as possible. It’s perfectly calibrated too. Just enough time to step out of your row and meet several people, but not so long that energy starts to fade or people get distracted. The countdown keeps everyone focused and engaged in a way that feels both intentional and energetic.
6. Announcements/Music
* Keep announcements short and sweet – Hit the highlights, give clear next steps, and move on. Your music, however, should be powerful and intentional. This is where hearts are prepared, spirits are lifted, and the atmosphere is set for everything that follows. Don’t rush through songs or treat them as filler. Let the music do its work of drawing people into God’s presence.
Hallelujah Highlights
What if you skipped announcements at the start completely? Like, one worship song, then a baptism, two more songs, then the actual service. Save all the announcements until after the final prayer and closing song?
One church I went to did exactly this. They had one song, then everyone sat down and the lights shifted over to the baptismal pool on the side of the stage. A girl got baptized and the whole place erupted. Everyone jumped up clapping and cheering, then they rolled right into another worship song.
While we’re talking about baptisms. I got baptized in a creek, Jesus in a river. It’s a huge deal, but it doesn’t have to be all stuffy and formal. I’m betting there was some hooting and hollering when John the Baptist was doing his thing. Last week I saw a baptism outside the church in a water trough provided by Tractor Farm Supply. That wasn’t normal but their main baptismal was broken. *The main reason I really like having the baptismal on the same level as everyone else in the congregation is it makes it so much easier for spouses, parents, and grandparents to get up close for pictures and videos.
One church had a clever approach with their intro video. They started by showing general images of the community and town, and then when the visuals shifted to show church members actively serving in that same community, everyone knew to stand up and start clapping because it was about time to start singing. It was a really effective way to communicate serving their community.
The message was clear: we’re here to serve this place and these people. The transition felt natural and got everyone engaged right from the start.
Creating short videos about projects you are supporting or that are coming up and showing those instead of talking.
Spoken word recital of the scripture in the middle of a song can be powerful.
Encouraging people to clap & raise hands throughout seems to work really well.
Dropping the instruments and doing a partial sing along.
Lyrics big enough to see on a screen are really nice.
JESUS text being super big and bold within lyrics of songs was eye catching.
I loved one acapella song that was included. Sometimes I think churches lean too heavily on instruments and miss the raw power of voices alone.
7. Participation of Young People
Every rapidly growing church I’ve visited has a strong focus on the young and investing in children’s and teen ministries.
Hallelujah Highlights
Including kids in the service. I witnessed a 7-year-old boy appear on stage singing and playing guitar with more passion than most contestants on American Idol can muster. I found out later he wasn’t supposed to sing. His dad had a bad case of laryngitis, and his grandfather convinced him to sing since he had been practicing with his dad.
One church kept the kids in service until after singing, so 5 or 6-year-olds were part of the whole “welcome visitors and shake hands” time. One’s enthusiasm was infectious, and you could see them naturally picking up those hospitality skills. A pretty cool thing to learn that young.
*Teachers and lunch staff I know always try to slip some kids extra food on Fridays because they know some of them might go hungry over the weekend. Having healthy options for food instead of just snacks available might really make a difference for a kid who needs it.
Kids aren’t just the church of tomorrow, they’re the church of today too. Sure, it’s easy to think of them as future leaders, deacons, and volunteers, but they’re already bringing something special to the table right now. They’ve got this energy and authenticity that you just can’t fake.
I enjoyed one service where they brought the small kids up front for a brief story time, then released them to children’s ministry. The pastor even let them answer questions into the microphone. You never know what kids will do or say which makes it really exciting for the audience!
8. Sermon/Preaching/Teaching
Charles Haddon Spurgeon is commonly known as the Prince of Preachers. He would be in the top 10 of almost any list on preaching. We can learn a lot by examining his traits. For now, I’m only going to include the traits of his that I’ve seen in services I’ve recently attended. Isn’t it interesting that the more you study great preachers, the more you can see what Jesus was doing?
Hallelujah Highlights
Trailblazer: Ditch the old-school preacher vibe and used everyday language.
Creativity: Granted, I live in Kentucky, but I once heard a pastor weave a story about women who chew tobacco into a sermon in a very effective way. Yes, it’s a Kentucky thing!
Analogies that Connect: In sermons on life’s hardships, Spurgeon noted, “There are difficulties in everything except in eating pancakes.”
Focus on 2-4 Main Points: Most people can only retain very few key ideas from any presentation, so why not make it easy on them? Display those main points in large text throughout the sermon so they’re impossible to miss.
Think simple, memorable phrases like “Jesus is Lord over Chaos,” “Fear Distorts,” or “Jesus Clarifies.” When people can see the structure of your message clearly laid out, they’re much more likely to walk away actually remembering what you talked about.
Shake Things Up: Forget stiff, traditional sermons and try to incorporate humor or more storytelling with real world connections that people can relate to. Example: If you want to improve your prayer life, do the following. Pray every time you are put on hold trying to get an appointment to see a doctor or specialist, waiting to be seen by a doctor, or waiting in line to pick up drugs at the pharmacy. Pretty soon James the Just will look like a slacker compared to you when it comes to prayer!
Be Emotive: With a penetrating voice, and showing your emotions, it’s possible to hold hundreds or thousands spellbound.
Use Gestures: Use expressive body language and purposeful gestures that draw the congregation closer and keep them engaged.
Showcasing Previous Faults: One pastor commented when he was growing up, the HOLY TRINITY for him was Me, Myself, and I.
Off the Cuff: Spurgeon was known for speaking off the cuff without notes because he studied constantly. The most powerful sermons I’ve heard so far are when the pastors deviated from their written notes.
Preparation: The best preachers are like jazz musicians. They know their scales so well they can improvise without hitting a sour note. Did I mention I witnessed one pastor surprise the congregation playing the keyboard with a soulful jazz-style solo of a gospel tune?
Kept It About Jesus & Scripture: Every sermon zoomed in on Christ and the gospel. He stuck to the big stuff–salvation, faith, eternal life– and people loved hearing his sermons.
Deep Faith: Spurgeon lived and breathed his faith, praying hard and leaning on God, which gave his words real power.
Make it easy for Newcomers: If someone’s never cracked open a Bible before, they have no clue where to find Ephesians or Malachi or any other book. When you’re referencing scripture from the pulpit, just give the Bible page number too if you’ve got Bibles in the pews. Simple fix that saves people from fumbling around looking lost.
9. Alter Call- Call to Action
I believe alter calls, as we know them today, originated in the early 1800s during the Second Great Awakening in the United States. Here are some different approaches to both altar calls and providing a call to action.
Hallelujah Highlights
One church had the pastor and another person (associate pastor, elder, etc.) positioned on each side of the pulpit area, which created more privacy for anyone coming forward and gave people two different options if they had a relationship with either person.
In some churches, the pastor prays with the congregation’s eyes closed while asking for anyone to raise their hand seems to work well. As crowd sizes increased, Billy Graham began incorporating “raise your hand if you prayed that prayer” into his altar call.
I liked the idea of giving specific scripture to read as a final call to action, either as a supplement to this week’s message or to prepare for next week’s sermon.
Leaving the service without asking people to do something that advances their faith or do good works seems like a missed opportunity. Just going out to eat after the service doesn’t really count, does it? Your church motto shouldn’t be “Sit, sing, and see you next week!”
One pastor mentioned he’d walk to the back of the church during altar calls in case anyone was too shy to come forward. So he’d start up front, then after a minute head to the back, and finally position himself at the door to greet folks on their way out. Smart way to create multiple opportunities for connection without putting pressure on people.
One worship leader paused the singing mid-song during an altar call. The band kept playing softly in the background and explained what the upcoming verses meant, which basically created a second mini altar call right there. Pretty effective way to give people another moment to respond.
During the final prayer after service, the worship leader circled back to the pastor’s challenge about each person finding “One More” person to share Christ with. Having someone other than the preacher reinforces the message like that really drives it home.
10. After Church Service Ends
While the pre-service rush focuses on getting people seated, the post-service environment offers a natural opportunity for deeper conversations, answering questions, and making genuine connections without the pressure of starting times or disrupting the flow of worship.
Hallelujah Highlights
Intentionally catching new faces as they leave the sanctuary is a great opportunity to say, “thank you for coming” could help make a personal connection.
One church had a colorful fundraising display board in their lobby with cards showing basic information about kids needing sponsorship. The top of the board outlined their 4-step process: 1) Choose an envelope 2) Register envelope with a team member 3) Submit your donation or pay online 4) Receive an envelope showing who you’re sponsoring.
Point to remember: If you want members to focus on and remember something long-term, a lobby display works great.
11. Following Up
I’m not aware of any study that puts first-time visitor retention rates above 30%. In fact, some studies put the number closer to 10%-15%. That’s frustratingly low and probably why many churches don’t have a short-term plan beyond one letter or email, and no long-term follow-up plan at all. You can think about it this way: you have a 70+% chance to beat the odds by brainstorming new ways on improving your follow up.
Hallelujah Highlights
Some churches now ask new visitors to choose their preferred method of follow-up. This is standard practice in almost every field now and can help save you money.
Rather than sending letters, consider postcards with a QR code for more information. You can have different postcards to highlight different services. For instance, send one about children’s ministry to any mothers who attended with their child. Also, most letters I’ve received don’t include a QR code, which you should always add as well.
Tell first-time attendees who don’t fill out a visitor form to drop a note in the collection boxes with the name and condition of someone they want the church to pray for.
Text messages can go out the day after the service. I really liked one message I received. Here’s an example. Hey, Todd. It’s [insert pastors first name] from [church name). How was your visit with us? Unlike a lot of churches, we love feedback. I’d love you to share your experience as it helps up as we grow. Thanks!
12. Special Services/Misc
What is a special service? Whatever you define as something out of the ordinary, but here are a few unique services I ran across.
Hallelujah Highlights
Thinking About Joining Our Church Service: I attended a new members workshop where the pastor and his wife discussed the church, the vision, the beliefs, how to contribute, etc. You likely do something similar, but the unique part was they held it in a different room while the Wednesday night service was going on. Obviously, you need a few people thinking about joining, more than one pastor and more than one room. I’m highlighting because energy of other people at the church (you could hear the music faintly from the main chapel) combined with the intimacy of a small group discussion worked really well.
A Seder meal in a Christian church? I attended one service during the week of Passover in the church’s community room that explained the different parts of a Seder meal in simple terms. What each element meant, reciting the Psalms. Each person participated in breaking the matzah bread at their table, tasting the bitter herbs, etc. I thought it was really well done, and I learned more than most Wednesday night Bible studies.
Fun Spin on Vacation Bible School– Vacation Bible School isn’t anything new, but when your church is meeting in a hotel, homes, or other rental spaces, hosting your first major event can be really challenging. One church I visited had just wrapped up a one-day “Summer Blast” event that combined Bible school activities, superhero costumes, and water games.
How? Another established church had offered to let them use their campus for the day. (IMHO) this really speaks to the right mindset. There are plenty of kids who need positive influence and people seeking faith to go around. Churches working together like this benefits everyone involved, particularly in your own community!
Summary/Conclusions
I’m holding off on writing the final word until I’ve walked through all 52 doors. Every week teaches me something I didn’t expect like a simple truth that hits different. I have no idea what’s waiting for me in church number 7, 30, or 45, or 52. And honestly isn’t that the whole point? The best discoveries happen when you’re not explicitly looking for them.
Key Points for Now
Please stick with me. By the time we reach the end of this journey, we’ll both have learned things we never saw coming.
An asterisk * shows where I added to what the church was already doing or where they gave me ideas for an additional way to do things.
