Connecting in Large Groups at Church (Part 1 of 7)

Connection 1: Large Groups The typical worship service represents the "Large Group" concept. The connection here is between the people "performing" the service and each individual who comes to the service. The more people that participate as "performers" in the service, the more likely it are that the people attending the service can make a connection with someone in this medium. Large Group meetings tend to be of a more formal atmosphere. There is a usually a defined "stage area" and "audience area" designed for ease of operations of the service. Because of the nature of a large group, the time and location rarely changes and is something that is dependable. Families usually sit together and there is very little interaction between attendees. There are several categories of people involved in a successful worship service. For the purposes of connection, we examine two groups: The "Front-Line" people and the "Performers" of the service. Front-Line: Ushers, Greeters, Nursery, and Parking Lot Attendants Most people will first encounter either ushers or greeters when they come to a worship service. Outreach Ministries states that the decision to return or not return to a church takes place in the first five minutes. The first people encountered by worship service attendees should be warm, welcoming, and well trained in their tasks. Even though the front-line person is critical to the success, the "connection" with the Large Group is not made with the "front-line" person. Merely, a successful front-line contact sets up the attendee for a successful connection with one or more performers of the worship service. Remember that these people are often the first person that a new guest meets at the church. In effect, they represent the pastor/speaker of the day. In fact, "Young parents will select a church more on the nursery care than on the doctrinal statements of the congregation, " states John C. Maxwell. Performers: Speakers, Musicians, Artists, etc. The word "performers" is used here to represent the group of people who perform the duties of the worship service. A "Performer" is someone who is supposed to be seen by the attendees during the service. People who attend a worship service will likely relate to one or two of the "performers" during a worship service and a connection point can be made. A successful connection is made when the attendee can identify with a performer of a large group. This connection is reinforced through repeated successful connections over time. The advantage of this type of connection is that strong connections can be made without any personal one-on-one contact. Performers include teachers, pastors, choir members, praise band, drama teams, scripture readers, announcement speakers, and anyone else who is seen or heard from the "stage" or pulpit area. Information Area The Information Area for new visitors is critical. The majority of remaining connections will be made or at least set in motion through this one point. Churches have many ideas for information areas, and the needs of the area vary from one church to the next. However, here are some key points to consider when creating an information area: 1. Have a prominent location for the information area 2. Staff the information area with the right people who are well-trained 3. Staff the information area well in advance and well after the service 4. Have plenty of well-prepared "hand-outs" of information and service directories ready 5. Avoid clutter-keep it clean and crisp.