When you can’t hug, high five or shake hands to tell people you care, let the quality of your first onsite experience overwhelm people with feeling loved.

Plan your high quality return by using an online or phone-in registration system (Registration systems). Make use of an instructional video to help your congregation see what they can expect (First Sunday Back).

Make your first Sunday back a party. Decorate inside and outside to help kids and adults know they are returning to something very special. 

Experience Volunteers

Train and deploy hospitality/guest experience volunteers to:

• hold welcome signs, and direct cars and foot traffic in the parking lot 

• use cones and other items to create visually clear walkways for people to enter the building 

• hold direction signs and leave zero doubt in people’s minds about where they should go to get to church and to eliminate cross traffic

• use creative markings outside on the pavement and inside to illustrate 6’ distancing

• greet at the door entrance (purchase or make masks for greeters with a smile or print on the mask “There’s a smile under here”)

• train volunteers to “smile with their eyes”

• reservation check-in attendant – record name, phone number

• provide access to free protective equipment, masks, hand sanitizers  

• guide to seating

• station greeters along the paths to help welcome people. 

• position an attendant outside restrooms (keep doors open)

• dismiss people from back to front after your worship service and guide to exit

People are more open to change, and once they’ve served as greeters, parking lot attendants, and service hosts, you can start coaching them on the importance of hospitality in the life of your church.  

Practise the Sunday procedure with your volunteers before opening. Do a trial run with from the parking lot entrance, procedures, message, music, and prayer. And the evaluate what went well and what can be improved. Use this as a celebration time with your volunteers. Make it fun.

Service Content

1. Continue to deliver a high quality online experience for those who choose to delay their return for personal reasons.

As people wait for others to be seated, provide opportunities for engagement through videos and in-person emcees.  

Give online or in drop boxes in the lobby.

Use consistent, clear messaging in all communication such as safe, spacious and sanitized. 

Begin with a shorter service (45 minutes or less)

Make use of the “Half Hour on Sunday” template for planning. 

Plan the gathering with children in mind. Faster paced than usual.

2. Carry onsite what you learned online.

• Start with the message and end with music.

• Be engaging, plan and pray for transcendent moments

• Focus on one key takeaway using the message, creative elements of drama, art, video, story, and music.

3. Celebrate relationships – the church is people.

4. Cast vision for being outbound. Share a story of community engagement. Share commendations of your church from the community.

5. Communicate the mission of making disciples who make disciples.

6. Connect people to the other 167 hours during the week with digital discipleship in devotionals, Q&A’s, worship, Zoom meetings with thought leaders, small groups, stories and more. 

High fives may be a thing of the past but ensure high quality is in your future.

Please leave a note in the comment section about how your church is returning with high quality.

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