Making sure newcomers feel included is vital for ministries looking to grow, which is why your church needs to use church welcome packets. Once a person responds to a church invitation text message, church invitation letter or face-to-face invitation, you want them to feel at home in your church. Church visitor packets give newcomers materials that show what your church is about and helps the guest feel appreciated.
Church visitor packet folders can vary from church to church, but there are always two key components.
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Church information packets - The church welcome packet often include info cards, a schedule of church groups and church events and where to watch past sermons online. These materials are often assembled by the hospitality ministry and don't cost a lot to produce or buy, but work to outline a path for newcomers to join the congregation in future activities.
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Gifts - From coffee mugs to candy, the gifts you can include in your church welcome packets can vary, but the intent behind them is the same. You want newcomers to feel welcome and appreciated. After all, it can be hard for visitors to put themselves out there and join a group of people they might not know at all. Giving these people a small gift shows your church feels honored that the newcomer chose to visit your congregation.
These two components combined create the church welcome packet, which is designed to turn newcomers into members. If you're looking for ideas on what to include in your church visitor packets, check out the ones below.
1. Visitor Information Cards
Also known as church connection cards, they are great ideas for church welcome packets. These cards serve several purposes.
First, they help the welcome committee to collect the visitors’ information. So, the visitors must fill in their contact information.
The cards also enable the church to share specific information with the visitors. Connection cards can also help you get to know the visitors interested in joining your church.
Several tips can motivate your church visitors to use the cards. One of them is having fewer fields to fill out. More fields make the cards complicated, consuming the visitors’ time.
Slang language may not be better for your church connection cards. A simple and appealing language is good for welcoming visitors to your church.
You can also incorporate a few colors and photos of your church into the cards. They are good visuals that will help the visitors understand your church's information better.
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- 8 church connection card templates.
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- 40 amazing welcome quotes to use in your printed material.
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2. General Information About the Church
Church information packets will help visitors become more familiar with your church. The church visitor packets must include everything regarding your church. Here’s what you should consider.
When designing your church welcome packets, the first piece to consider is the history of your church. You don’t have to write a 50-page story, if it’s clear and precise as possible to read to excite your visitors.
How you present the information about your church is important. Try to avoid writing anything negative as this will reflect the reputation of your church.
The other information to consider is your church vision. Vision, in this case, means the future the church leadership and the congregation are working to achieve.
Maybe your church doesn't have a compelling vision yet. There are key essentials that your church vision must have for it to be effective. Consider them before including the vision statement in the church welcome packets.
The other crucial information about the church is the mission. The mission here implies the efforts of your church to bring more people to Christ. It is simply the great commission of your church.
You can also include the group strategy of your church. Here, you let the visitors know that your church cares when the congregants have needs.
Including information about accepting Christ is also necessary. By this, you allow the visitors/new congregants to get born again and become full members of your church.
3. Gifts
Church welcome gifts show that you appreciate new members attending your church service. There are several other reasons why you should include gifts in your church visitor packets.
For one, they will make the visitors feel appreciated. Because of this, it becomes easier for the new members to develop close relationships with the church.
In your church welcome packets, gifts also make new people know more about your church. They are good for spreading church brand visibility.
It also feels good to give to new congregants. It is amazing to see other people smile when they receive your gifts.
There are many unique gifts You can give visitors when they attend your church. The welcome gifts should have your church name for brand visibility.
Don’t rush to buy any gifts for your new church members. The gifts should show your thoughtfulness to the needs and desires of your guests.
The gifts should also get the guests connected to your church more. They should create memories of your church service or other occasions like missions.
You do not have to break the bank to give to new church members. Don’t focus on lavish and expensive gifts. However, you are not limited to going big if your church budget is enough.
4. Statement of Faith
A statement of faith will help the visitors know what your church believes in. A church founded on the Word of God must follow all Christian essentials.
A statement of faith should reveal several things about your church and should be included in your church welcome packets. One of them is your church's beliefs about the bible.
You should convince the visitors that you believe in the word of God. Be clear regarding how the bible was written, its truth, and its inspiration. Don’t shy from highlighting the errors you believe are in the Bible text.
The statement of faith should also be clear on your belief about God. Let the visitors know if you believe in the trinity. You can also highlight the roles of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
The statement of faith should only have questions you can answer. Your answers to the questions should always start with “we believe.” Use the Scriptures to support the beliefs of your church.
Ensure that you pray when writing a statement of faith. By this, you will be clear on your beliefs and represent the word of God better through the statement.
5. A Thank You Note
A thank you note is also an effective way of appreciating your visitors. It tells them that you don’t take their time or donations for granted.
A thank you note will inspire the visitors to come back whenever needed. This is because it acts as a reminder of how your church values their gift.
A thank you gift to your visitors also proves your church’s satisfaction. It enables your church to focus on what is donated instead of what is lacking.
Again, thanking your visitors is the right thing to do. The bible encourages us to be thankful in all circumstances since it’s God’s will for us.
A thank you note does not have to be complex. There is a simple guide to help you write a good thank you note to your church visitors.
You may lack the right words to express your thankfulness to the new members. Get inspiration by reading the Scriptures and praying.
A good thank you note should be personal. Avoid vagueness by addressing individual guests by their names.
A thank you note should have the pastor’s name and signature. This is confirmation that the church leadership approves the thank you note.
6. A Video/Photo of the Sermon
The world is becoming digital every day. It is easy to record your church sermons and send the video, audio, or photos to your visitors.
They are good for clarity. In your church welcome packets, try telling the visitors about your church in an exciting and uplifting way.
CDs and DVDs are past time. You can recommend your visitors to check your church’s YouTube and other social media platforms for videos.
Videos and photos of your church sermon also give a better impression. The visitors will have clear ideas of how things go in your church prior to attending.
You can also include this content in flash drives. It is the best option when your church has enough budget to buy flash drives instead of CDs and DVDs.
Videos are also good for church announcements. However, you must have the right announcement content and video structure.
7. Welcome Letter from Church Staff
Including a welcome message in the church visitor packet folders is a great idea to consider. It is the pastors who write welcome messages.
There are reasons to consider this idea for your church welcome packets. First, it will make the visitors feel welcome and comfortable while in your church.
You can use the letters to express your gratitude to the visitors for attending your church. Because of this, it creates a personal connection between you and the visitors.
Writing a church welcome letter can be challenging. You might not find the right words to convey the message.
There are some church welcome letter mistakes to avoid. For example, the letters should not be too long. A short and personal church welcome letter is good for the new members.
Avoid sending the church welcome letter weeks after writing it. Send it to the visitors immediately after printing it. Only include relevant information in the letter to avoid vagueness.
You don’t always have to give your new church members physical letters. Emails and social media are among the most convenient distribution channels to use.
8. Upcoming Events
Here, you show the visitors other things your church engages in to consider for your church welcome packets. These may include community service, trips, picnics, missions, women's ministry events, and leadership training.
Share information about all events that create fun. By this, you’ll capture the visitors’ attention and make them committed members. A church event invitation letter is a great tool for accomplishing this goal.
There is specific church event information to convey to the visitors. First, let the visitors know the theme of the event. It is a way of keeping the visitors enlightened about what will happen during the events.
You should also be clear on the goal of the event. This will help the visitors and the church prepare for the event and achieve the set goals.
Lastly, be clear on the event budget. Communicating the budget will help determine the money each participant will raise for the event.
9. Stories from Members
Visitors will love to hear stories from other members of your church. Take time to compile all relevant testimonials for the church welcome packets.
Member stories make the visitors feel more comfortable when in the church. They feel personally connected to the church.
Ensure that the member stories are not boring. The stories should include the members’ names and personal contacts. By this, it will be easier for the visitors to reach out to the members for questions.
The members’ history should also be part of their story. Let the guests know where the member was before joining your church.
The guests should also know how your church changed the members. The change should be positive to motivate the guests to join your church.
10. Free Food Item
Free food items are great ideas during a fundraising occasion in your church. This church welcome packets idea can motivate the guests to come back later.
Free food items show that your church values the visitors. They can attract and keep the visitors to enhance your church’s growth.
You should also train your church volunteers to interact well with the visitors. This will give the visitors a good impression of your church.
You can also organize a good church dinner and invite visitors. It is a way of giving a sense of fellowship and friendship to your visitors.
11. Inspirational Materials
Including inspirational materials in your church visitor packets is very important. They are great teaching tools for visitors and children. These materials may include prayer cards and books.
They will always remind the visitors about your church. The materials should have your church name and other visuals to attract visitors.
Ensure that they have encouraging/inspiring words. This is necessary to provide peace and comfort to your church guests.
You can have prayers and scriptures printed on the cards. Hand out the cards to the visitors during special church services like prayer meetings.
The inspirational materials should not be a burden to the visitors. They should be lightweight and compact.
12. Ministries of Your Church
Include a brief overview of your other church ministries in the church visitor packet folders. This makes it easier to connect the visitors to the ministries.
The information should include the location of other ministries. You can also include the leadership and members of the ministry.
This idea is only necessary for the visitors attending the church welcome center. It may not be best for visitors attending the ministries.
Be clear about how the visitors can find your other ministries. In short, the information should be according to the needs of your visitors.
13. Kids Coloring Book
This is a great idea for church welcome packets if you have a children’s ministry. These are great tools for teaching children the word of God.
You can include crayons in the church visitor packets. They are good for sharpening the kids’ drawing and writing skills.
The coloring book should be related to the bible. It can be about a special miracle in the bible or even a Bible story.
Get All the Materials You Need to Welcome Church Visitors
We’ve built a complete kit of templates to help you get started on building a comprehensive welcome packet for newcomers. Download our free church welcome kit to get...
- 8 church connection card templates.
- Church verse & quote cards for your welcome packets.
- 40 amazing welcome quotes to use in your printed material.
- Free welcome message templates for visitors and new members.
