Today I’m continuing a series of posts about the importance of the first few minutes of a newcomer’s experience at your church (click here for Part 1 and Part 2).

In fact, a First-Time Guest knows whether or not they’ll return to your church in the first seven minutes of their initial experience at your church.

That’s before they hear the music, before the message has begun – which means you should be very concerned about what happens to your guests “pre-service.”

During this “Pre-Service” time period, four helpful focus areas are how a person is Greeted, Directed, Treated and Seated, and today we’re going to look at how they’re TREATED.

First-time guests want to feel respected and welcomed.

They want to know that you’re serious about making sure they have a good experience. The way you, your team and your regular attenders treat guests and their families will tell them what they need to know.

If possible, providing food is one of the best ways to show your guests you care, and it’s a sure way to put them at ease.

The late food writer James Beard once said, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” It also acts as a welcome, comforting treat in any situation.

When done well, food can really “wow” your guests, but when done poorly, it turns them off.

A few words of advice: Don’t skimp on food. This is not the area to try and save a nickel. Don’t cut things in half to make them stretch. Don’t glare at the person who takes three donuts.

Food is your chance to show unchurched people that you care enough to offer them something for free that will meet a need.

Quality, not extravagance, is the key.

So, what can you do this week to “treat” your First-Time Guests?

P.S. To maximize your church’s Assimilation System and drastically improve the number of First-Time Guests who return and ultimately become Fully-Committed Members of your church – check out The Assimilation Intensive.