The Come Back Effect By Jason Young And Jonathan Malmಮಾದರಿ

Day Two

Know Your Guest

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Imagine if . . . 

• a guest felt comfortable at church, even though they’ve harbored distrust for religion. 
• a guest felt so at ease in the church that they could focus on the worship and message. 
• a guest felt in control of the situation, even when they’ve been out of control the rest of the day. 

In 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul talked about becoming like those to whom he ministered. When he was with Jews, he behaved like a Jew and followed their practices. When he was with Gentiles, he ignored Jewish law. No matter where he ministered, Paul found common ground with everyone so that he could bring them to Christ.

How could Paul have done this if he was unaware of who these people were? To find common ground, he had to know them. Paul had to understand their customs. Their worries. Their values. 

In other words, Paul needed to know more than demographics (age, gender, marital status, area of residence, ethnicity)—the types of questions churches like to ask on their guest cards. He needed real, personal information. 

Note that there’s nothing wrong with knowing demographics. You can get valuable insights from this type of information. But if we want to take our hospitality to the next level, we need to know more. We need to know what the service industry has labeled psychographic information. These are things like personality, values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles.

When we don’t know the guests who grace the parking lots and lobbies, seats and pews of our ministry, what we intend as a gesture of kindness could be an affront to them. That’s why churches who want to welcome guests well learn much as possible about them. They’ll know details like what magazines they read, what television shows they watch, and where they get their news. It’s a deeper level of understanding, but it translates to the come back effect. 

When you intentionally understand the who and let that inform your why, you create a more remarkable and targeted experience of hospitality. 

How do you respond to the idea of getting to know more about your guests than demographics? How could you learn more about the people who come through your church’s doors?