The 52 Churches Workbook

Becoming a Spiritual Community that Matters

Peter DeHaan

• Publisher: Rock Rooster Books
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781948082365
• eBook ISBN: 9781948082358
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Church

What would you learn if you visited 52 churches?

How might that experience change the way you treated visitors at your church?

But you don't need to go to a boatload of churches to find out. Church-reform advocate Peter DeHaan, PhD already has. The 52 Churches Workbook is the perfect tool to gain valuable insights without the pain and hassle of going to a different church every Sunday for an entire year.

Merely thinking about making your church better isn't enough. It's time to act.

With over 200 thought-provoking questions to propel you and your church forward, you'll discover:

- How to greet visitors well.

- The importance of making a good first impression and a parting memory.

- The way one person can make the difference between success and failure.

- Best practices from churches that treat visitors well, along with what to avoid.

- Why a website is critical and shouldn't resemble a dating profile.

The 52 Churches Workbook is the perfect companion for 52 Churches, but it also works great as a standalone book for those who haven't yet read 52 Churches.

Don't go another Sunday without this essential resource. Perfect for leaders and members.

Get The 52 Churches Workbook and take the first step to becoming a church that matters.

Part 1: Getting Started

I’m preparing to go to Church #1. The enemy harasses me. I don’t want to go. I now understand why the non-regular church attender can so easily stay home despite their best intentions. The living room recliner and television remote are much more inviting and much less threatening.

Welcoming visitors starts before they arrive. What can you do to make it easy for them to show up?

A personal invitation is the most effective way to encourage people to visit your church. What specific things can you do to invite people to visit?

Church #1: A Friendly Place with a Homey Feel

This church has no online presence, as well as an uninviting exterior. But the people inside are friendly, and we feel at home—mostly.

An unwieldy wheelchair ramp tacked onto the front of the building desperately needs painting. We bypass the ramp, but it remains our focal point and forms our first impression. What changes should you make to give your church better curb appeal and offer a better first impression?

A man lacking in social skills, with possible mental issues, corners us when we arrive. We can’t escape his plodding monologue. What can you do to protect visitors from regular attendees who may repel or scare them away?

There are only seventeen people present. With a smirk, the minister asks first-time visitors to raise their hands. I want to disappear. What practices should you stop so that people won’t squirm?

After the service, everyone lingers to chat. Many thank us for visiting and invite us to come again, but they aren’t pushy. What can you do to help a person’s first visit not be their last?

Church #2: Growing Deeper, Not Wider

The church is three years old and meets in a strip mall. Their goal is to “grow deeper, not wider.” Everything about this church is the opposite of last week.

I park near the door. I later realize they leave the prime spaces for guests, with the regulars parking further away. When you arrive at church, where do you park and why?

Scores of people mill about, all engaged in conversation. We mosey in, giving time for someone to notice us. No one does. We sit and squirm in silence. Who do you talk to before church: friends, regulars you don’t know well, or visitors? Why? What needs to change?

Despite singing and hearing a message, most of the service relates to church business. How can you address church business and still make it meaningful for new people? Should Sunday mornings have an external focus, saving internal discussions for a different time?

Although they ignored us after we walked in, the overall atmosphere and service was much more welcoming than last week. I want to come back. What can you do to make it easy for people to engage in your service and want to return?

Church #3: It Only Hurts When You Care

The third church is more established like Church #1 but more midsized like Church #2.

Many pages on their website are “under construction” or “coming soon.” The sections for members have information, while the pages for visitors are incomplete. What can you do to keep your websi...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• The Visiting Churches Series
• Contents
• The Beginning
• Getting Started
• The Second Quarter
• The Halfway Point
• The Home Stretch
• Conclusion
• The Visiting Churches Series
• About Peter DeHaan
• Books by Peter DeHaan