Your church is growing and that it a good thing. But the next question is how to get the new members plugged in to your church and its culture. New members often feel overwhelmed with the ministry opportunities, meeting new people and trying to place names with faces. One of the easiest ways to integrate new members is to add them to your church directory. Not only does this help them learn about your congregation, but it also helps introduce the new members to your church. However, this does require an information transfer between the members and church staff, most often when welcoming new members.
There is also the issue of maintaining current information on your existing members. Instant Church Directory would like to share a couple of tried and true gathering tips that will make this process easy for your congregation and directory staff.
A New Member’s Packet
One of the best ways to greet new members is with a welcome packet. Included in this packet could be information about your church and its ministries. Customize the packet—place information that each family would naturally be drawn to at the front of the packet. For instance, for younger families with small children, include information about your preschool ministry near the front of the packet.
Consider enclosing a form for new members to complete that will include the contact information they wish to be added to the directory. We have created an information form just for this purpose. You can find this form on the tools page of our website at www.InstantChurchDirectory.com/tools. All you need to do is download, print and distribute the form. Also, in the tools section of our website, there
We also recommend adding a release form in the packet as well. Information on release forms can usually be obtained through church insurance agents.
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Update Existing Members
Often member’s contact information changes, and as people get busy, the church can be the last place they think to update their information. We’ve found that distributing an information form during the service at least twice a year and having members update their contact information during this time is a great way to gather this information. This should be collected at the end of the service or during the offering. Because holiday services typically have the highest attendance, consider distributing this form during these services to get the greatest response.
A growing church is an exciting church. And people are naturally drawn to growing churches. Instant Church Directory will help to welcome and to integrate the new members and keep your current members in contact with one another. Remember to have photo taking opportunities during the year for new families, members whose families change, or members who just want an updated photo. And keep us posted with your progress! We love to hear from you!