The New look! launch went really great last week. If you're a client and haven't made the switch, login and give it a try. After a day or two of using it, you will join hundreds of others who see and feel the difference.
Last month I also started a series I'm calling the Top 12 ways churches use Registrations & Forms. We did a deeper dive into the why and how of Connection Cards then. This week let's talk about the New Members Class.
Connection cards are the best way to capture people's information. Use this information to set up a series (or workflow) of emails, texts, and personal calls. Besides getting to know them, the goal of this workflow is for people to register for a New Member's class.
Making this the clear next step helps everyone. The visitor doesn't have to guess what to do next. Staff and members know that these friends will learn the vision, values, beliefs, and expectations of joining the church.
I loved overseeing this ministry when I was a pastor. So much so that my wife and I lead our church's New Members Class as volunteers now. Just last Sunday we introduced our most recent group to the church. Here are the talking points we use to explain to the church why the membership process is important.
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To share our faith. The membership process gives us, as the church, a chance to share our vision, values, beliefs, and expectations with our new friends. It gives them a chance to interact with these - and to share their faith story.
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To identify our people. Church is the place where we hope to be known, challenged, and cared for. Becoming a member tells the rest of us, and especially our leadership, that this is the church family we want to be a part of and shepherded by.
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To live out our purpose. God gives each of us natural gifts (our personality, talent, abilities, and passions) by birth and by life experience. He gives us spiritual gifts by grace and by rebirth. These are not meant for ourselves, but are most purposeful when we use them for the service of others as part of the church.
Use this "How to set up a workflow" Knowledge Base article for details on setting up Churchteams automation. In the email and text message templates you use, add a registration link that gives people the opportunity to sign up for the New Members Class. In addition use announcements and personal conversations to encourage regular attenders to register for the class from your website.
Finally, set up a New Members Class workflow that starts by removing registrants from the previous workflow and sends them an email or text letting them know more details about the next class will be forthcoming.
If you would like to learn more about how Churchteams can help you manage the entire process of ministry from outreach to follow-up to assimilation to full enagement, join me for Meet The Software. It's a free Zoom webinar I do live each week.
