One of our users has given me a potential outline for a greeter training meeting. She’s filled out details that are unique to her church, but here are some of the major movements:

• Hospitality Vision
  • What is Church Hospitality?
  • The difference between Hospitality and Evangelism
  • 4 Factors of Effective Hospitality
  • Goals of our Hospitality Ministry: Visitors
  • Goals of our Hospitality Ministry: Members and Regular Attenders
• Greeter Duties
  • Greeter Positions and Locations
  • How to Welcome People
  • 10 Tips for Greeters
  • 20 Dangers to Avoid
• Fall Schedule of Events
• 4 Greeting Scenarios

Are there slides or details you would add?

What have you found helpful to do in your greeter training events?

How many of you have generated a checklist of greeter duties?

In greeter training, this list of duties can be very helpful. Feel free to add your own or not include what may not apply to your context. These are geared toward entry greeters or staff of hospitality tables that many churches use.

Note: Some of this will seem common sense. The goal is not to develop “policy” that you enforce, but simply to raise issues to think about. Policies are no fun when the seem to regulate common sense.

Self-Preparation

• Dress in what is appropriate for your church context.
• Dress neatly in what is appropriate for your church. If people dress up for church, then greeters should do the same. If it’s business casual, so be it. Don’t be too informal, as visitors will partly form their impression of the church.
• Fresh Breath (mints or gum are helpful, or those spray thingys).
• Deodorant — particularly if you like to hug those whom you know.
• Prayer — Ask God to help you greet everyone and that all who visit may discover Him.

Note: if you use gum to freshen your breath, get rid of it properly before starting your work as a church greeter / usher. . Public gum chewing while serving is a frowned upon action in many places.

Before the Service

• Check the entry area (foyer, narthex) for cleanliness and tidiness.
• Fix what needs to be straightened up.
• Locate bulletins or programs if you use them.
• Make sure doors are unlocked and opened.
• Be sure that you are familiar with answers to common questions like ‘where is the bathroom?’
• Locate your information packets if greeters distribute them.

As people enter

• Greet people in an appropriate fashion for your context.
• Handshakes are typical, but be sensitive to closed postures of those who don’t like handshakes.
• Greet everyone.
• Greet people by name if you have met them.
• Greet the children too!
• Smile.
• Depending on the pace of people entering, you might inquire, “How’s the family?” or “How are you doing?”

Noticing visitors

• Look for people you don’t recognize.
• Offer your name and see if they offer theirs.
• Handshakes are typical, but be sensitive to the closed posture of guests
• Don’t lavish too much attention on first time visitors. Take your cue from the visitor.
• Smile.
• Offer to answer questions they may have.
• If there are children with the visitor, offer information about what your church does, or point them to the one who can share that information in depth (like the hospitality center).

After the Service

• Greet people by name as you can.
• Thank visitors for coming.
• Seek out those who don’t look connected
• Offer to pray for needs that have been mentioned.

Let me ask you this:

What would you add to this list?

Add your comments below.

Greeter Resources:

• Church Greeter Training Video Set (DVD or Download)
• Church Greeters 101 Book

I’ve had plenty of experiences as a first time guest, where people will make eye contact with me, but not say a word.

Here what one book suggests a congregation practice to help increase the relational warmth of a church if this became part of it’s DNA.

My initial reaction though, is will this be too much?

Do you think this would be too pushy, or too friendly?  Tell me what you think in the comments below.

Some of you have told me via email that you are feeling inspired to have regular training meetings for your greeters and all the members of your hospitality ministries.

One of the biggest problems that people are reporting to me is the lack of consistency in their hospitality ministries. One of the best ways to over come that is regular ongoing training.

In this video, I share my thoughts on what needs to happen in a training meeting.

I shot this little video while on the roof of my building. The cloud cover was causing me to squint perhaps a little too much, but I didn’t have much time left to re-shoot the video.

After seeing what I suggest, what do you suggest would be helpful to cover in a training meeting?

I received a question this week in my email:

To make a positive first visit to a church visitors home, our Evangelism Team wants to take a loaf of bread and have a meaningful conversation, do you have a script for Evangelism teams to assist in making a positive impact? Are there topics you want to stay away from? Thanks, Jimmie

In the video, I give my thoughts about this practice for churches that choose to use it.

The home visit after the first visit has been a staple of church growth tips for a long time, but since our culture has changed so much, we need to think about it here in 2009.

After watching the video, one thing I forgot to mention was to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  It might be one of those kairos moments where the conversation can go into deep spiritual things. Other times, it might simply be a brief information visit.

Your teams need to be open to deciding on the moment how far to let the visit happen.

After watching the video, what do you think?

What advice would you give Jimmie?

Share with us your thoughts.

Some large churches have a giant Sunday school program. Lots of different classes to choose from. Lots more opportunity to greet first time visitors.

Learn from my experience about using greeters during Sunday School to make a great first impression.

After watching the video, share with us how you use greeters during your Sunday School time.

How do you use greeters in your Sunday school program?

Where else do you have greeters besides the front door?

I’d like to hear from you.

PS. I know that all you friendly proof readers [proof listeners?] will notice my goof between a suburban and urban church.  It was an urban church.

Organizing your greeter team is not a process that naturally happens. This video was first made in 2009, so it may seem a little old compared to some of the other ones.

As humans, we tend to over organize (particularly those gifted in administration – like me).

How do you structure your teams?

Watch this 3 minute video and I’ll tell you what I learned

How is your greeting ministry organized? Would you share?

Include your the approximate attendance size of your church and how many services would be helpful to know.

I’d like to hear from you. More video tips will be coming in a few days and I’ll announce them via email.

Do you have a church greeter question you’d like me to address?

Submit it here and I’ll work at putting together a new video for you.