Whether it's from the pulpit, within your bulletin or your connection cards, your church needs to offer a welcome speech for church visitors. Churches across the country are all facing the same problem: fewer visitors are joining to become members. According to PEW Research, only 47% of all Americans belong to a church, which is down nearly three quarters from just a few decades ago.
With fewer regular church members across the country, the visitors are likely unchurched, which means they aren't as accustomed to integrating themselves within a church community.
That's why it's so important to provide a welcome message for church visitors. Reduce the anxiety of newcomers that might join your church community with these templates of welcome messages for church visitors. Use them in letters, connection cards, your bulletins and your welcome packets. You can also use them in your speeches from the pulpit or include print outs at your church welcome center.
Why Welcome Church Visitors?
Some may be hesitant to create messages specifically targeting church visitors. After all, you don't want to make anyone feel singled out. Bombarding a visitor with too much attention and information can make them feel awkward.
On the other hand, failure to acknowledge church visitors could cause feelings that nobody cares about them. A cold-shoulder kind of vibe can keep visitors from returning. Welcome messages for visitors delivered from the church's welcome committee should engage, inform and invite them back.
Church Welcome Letters That Engage
Engagement is more than just attention-grabbing gimmicks. Engaging visitors involves asking earnest questions about who they are. Without conducting an interview, let visitors know you genuinely want to get to know them.
Many congregations pass out cards with welcome messages for church visitors. These are quick info cards that help your church know how many visitors are sitting in your pews each Sunday. Welcome cards can also serve to get in touch with Sunday morning guests later in the week.
Welcome/Connection Card
If you've been a visitor to a new congregation, chances are you're familiar with church connection cards. These are cards placed in pews, bulletins or passed out by ushers.
A connection card welcomes church visitors to your community. They also engage with visitors by asking for their contact info and/or prayer requests they may have.
Some smaller congregations ask for connection cards to be dropped into offering plates. The pastor later reads the prayer requests aloud during his or her prayers later in the church service.
Welcome/Connection Card Template
Welcome! We're so glad you've come to worship with us this morning. Help us get to know you by filling out this card and dropping it in the collection plate. We hope you've been blessed today.
Name_____________________
Preferred Contact Method
- Snail Mail
- Text
- Phone Call
Address ______________________________________________
Phone ________________________________________________
How Can We Pray for You? ____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Looking for Free Connection Card Templates and Other Materials?
Our team has built eight connection card templates your church can use and...
- 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.
Download our free kit to access all the materials.
Use Technology
Some visitors may be more comfortable using technology to communicate. This may be especially true for Gen Z or even younger Millennials. Try placing an announcement on your church welcome slide or bulletin with a text number.
Have a leadership discussion about how to incorporate a welcome message for church visitors this way. If the members of your church leadership team aren't tech-savvy, find someone who is.
Meeting technology generations in their comfort zone could go a long way in connecting with younger church visitors. 
Text Welcome Message Template
New to [church name]?
Text "Visitor" to [number]. We'd love to connect with you!
Once a visitor sends a text, you can reply with a custom message or something like this:
Thank you for visiting our congregation. We are so glad to have you worship with us! Would you like to know more about our church and ministries?
Note: From there, you can offer a more personalized conversation or arrange a face-to-face meeting.
QR Code Message
Scan this QR code to tell us about yourself and learn more about [church name]. We're so glad you are here and can't wait to hear from you!
This is another way you can embrace church technology and help younger visitors feel comfortable.
Church Welcome Letters Than Inform
If you'd like to take another approach, try creating an informative welcome message for visitors by telling them more about your church community. This can include specific beliefs, outreach programs, affiliated schools or even a brief history of your congregation. People like to know what they're getting into. Providing a brief background of who you are and what you believe could help visitors know if they're a good fit for your congregation.
Be careful not to give too much info too soon in your welcome message for church visitors. Remember, bombarding church visitors with a lot of new and unsolicited information could have the opposite effect you want. Remember to make these personal and, if possible, have the author sign his or her name to the letter.
Church Welcome Letter Template
Welcome [inset visitor's name], we're so glad you were able to join us for Sunday worship. Thank you for taking the time to worship with us. Here's a little more about who we are and what we believe.
Our congregation was built in (year) with (number of original parishioners) and has since grown to be (size of the congregation). Our mission is to (paraphrase your mission statement here). We embrace our community members as part of that mission.
In addition to Sunday services, (church name) enjoys Wednesday evening activities and Bible Study. We would love to have you join us for these worship opportunities. Please reach out to me or anyone in the church office with further questions.
We look forward to seeing you again soon!
Take Care,
[Sign by hand]
List your church's address, phone number, email address or other contact information. It may help to add another member's contact info if you have hospitality ministry at your church.
Church Welcome Letters That Invite
Some visitors may need a little more prompting. Maybe a visitor would like to be involved but doesn't feel comfortable serving on a team or committee yet. Creating non-obligation social situations for visitors is a great way to reach out without expecting anything in return.
Invitation 1 Church Welcome Letter Template
Are you new to [name of church] or our church family? Join us today at [insert location] after the first service. Have coffee and a treat on us. Stay and chat as long as you'd like.
Would you like to learn more about us? We'd love to get to know you better as well. Fill out the contact form below and someone will reach out to you.
Thank you for taking the time to attend our service today. We hope to see you soon!
Name:_______________ Address:______________
Phone:______________
Email:_______________
Preferred Contact Method (circle): Email Phone Text Mail
Invitation 2 Church Welcome Letter Template
Try this second template for something a little more informal. Remember, not everyone will be able/comfortable to stay and hang out with strangers after their first visit. It's ok to invite them to grab a treat and go if that's more comfortable for them.
Visiting for the first time today? You're invited to stay after the service. Join us at [insert location] for coffee, water and snacks. We hope to see you there!
If you are unable to stay but would like to learn more about our church family, drop this contact card off at the welcome center. Thank you for joining us today. We hope to see you again soon!
Name:_______________ Address:______________
Phone:______________
Email:_______________
Preferred Contact Method (circle): Email Phone Text Mail
Verbal Welcome Messages for Church Visitors
Contact cards and letters are great, but they're not replacements for an in-person message. Whether it's from the pulpit or during a Sunday School class, a welcome message for church visitors can help them feel more at ease.
General welcome messages to visitors may be a better idea than individual welcome messages. While you do want your visitors to feel appreciated, keep in mind that singling people out could cause them to feel uncomfortable.
Here are a few ideas for verbal welcome messages.
A Verbal Welcome Message in Large Group Worship
In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul encouraged the church in Rome to welcome one another. Romans 15:7 (ESV) Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. On behalf of our church family, I'd like to extend a special welcome to our visitors today.
Our hope and prayer for visitors and regular attendees today is that our interactions here today will, indeed, bring glory to God. Tell us a little more about yourself and how we can pray for you via our communication cards if you feel so led.
A Verbal Small Group Welcome Message for Church Visitors
It's so great to have some new faces joining us today. We're reminded of Paul's words to the church in Rome, therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. We hope that our time together today brings glory to God as well.
If you're feeling led to fill out some communication cards today, you can find them under your seats. We'd love to know how we can pray for you. Thank you for blessing us with your presence today.
A 1:1 Verbal Welcome Message for Church Visitors
Church greeters are often the first interaction visitors to your church will have. Giving your friendliest faces a loose script or a few talking points may help them feel more comfortable greeting visitors.
Your greeters may also oversee relaying important info to first-time attendees. Here are a few things to consider when coaching your greeters on their visitor interactions.
- Be genuine. Overly enthusiastic or forced interactions can be interpreted as disingenuous.
- Not too wordy. Pleasantries like "Good Morning!", "I'm so glad you're here." and "Welcome to [church name]!" are great opening statements for your visitors.
- Give any directions needed. If the welcome center/worship space/bathroom is difficult to find, give a quick overview of where to find it. Offer to walk with the visitor if they seem confused.
- Keep it low-key. It is important to be positive and enthusiastic. However, be careful not to overwhelm your visitors with too many introductions at once. You don't want them to feel like they're on display.
In smaller church settings, many people just assume others know where things are or how things run. Your greeters can be proactive in this, making sure visitors are comfortable before they enter the service.
In larger congregations, greeters won't know who a visitor is or who is not. If this is true of your church, instruct greeters to ask open-ended questions like, "Know where we're meeting today? Great!"
Welcome Packets/Gift Bags
Many churches like giving welcome gifts to visitors. These bags or packets usually include literature about your statement of faith and a communication card.
In addition, some churches give away kids' coloring books or stickers, merchandise with your church's logo and/or something inspirational.
Visitor gift packets should also include a welcome letter from church leadership as well as a hand-written thank you note. You may want to include a testimonial or story from a current church member.
Here's a welcome message template for your visitor gift packets.
Welcome to [church name]! We're so glad you've blessed us with your presence today! My name is [insert name] and I'm the [position held] and [name of church].
Our church community believes [insert mission statement or part of your mission statement].
In the Bible, James 5:16 tells us, confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. We take this to heart and would love to pray for you.
If you are led to do so, please fill out the communication card provided and leave it at the welcome center. We're excited you're here and hope to see you again soon.
[Handwritten Signature]
[Printed Name]
[Church contact info including website and social media]
Bulletin Welcome Message for Church Visitors
Whether it's printer paper folded down the middle or a QR code for parishioners to scan, your church probably has a bulletin. The church bulletin has long been a place of announcements, order of service and church contact info.
Why not place a welcome message for church visitors in your bulletin as well? A concise, well-written message is a great way to communicate with visitors in a non-threatening way.
Template for Church Bulletin Messages for Visitors
New around here? We're so glad to see you! Welcome to [church name]! We hope you are blessed today as we worship The Lord together. Please feel free to fill out a communication card located [insert location] and drop it in the offering plate.
We invite you to stay for fellowship following our service or join us for education classes. If you have any questions about our congregation or the sermon, feel free to ask a pastor or contact us another way. We're so glad you're here and hope to see you again.
[church contact info including links to your statement of faith and social media]
Get 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, as well as a church hospitality ministry guide. 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.
