HELP, I'm changing churches!

Where people choose to go to church is a big deal and changing churches is even bigger! People think, pray, worry, flip-flop, discuss, change their minds, and then do it all over again when it comes to moving to a new church. If there is one thing I have learned it is that people take church seriously, even if they are not regular attenders. When someone visits Grace Community Church they are investigating and trying to figure out what we are about. They are trying to imagine GCC being their church. They are worried about leaving friendships at their current church. They are asking God for direction. How our team engages people in transition is very important. Here are some principles that guide us as we work with families through the process of changing churches...

• Listen // so many times people just want to tell you what is going on, they need to vent! Be ready to just listen and thank them for checking out your church. They are not ready for advice, they just need to vent, so listen.
• Engage, don't sell // when someone visits, just engage them like you would anyone else! What is not needed is us selling our church to them. We are not in the business of convincing people why they should choose our church. The church / community we lead should speak for itself. Resist the pressure to sell your church.
• Never be negative // never never never talk bad about other churches or other leaders in order to make your church look better. Again, just never do it and never encourage it.
• Be patient // people need time when they are considering a move. We have to be patient with people as they work through the process.
• Encourage // moving to a new church is hard. People in transition need encouragement that the process is ok, that it is normal to question, that it is important to find the best ministry fit for their family. Encourage and allow God to work!