Want Guests to Come Back? Start Here.
- Aaron Hur Group
- Sep 29, 2025
- 3 min read
5 Keys to Creating a Healthy Guest Follow-Up Process in Your Church
5 Keys to Creating a Healthy Guest Follow-Up Process in Your Church
Every Sunday, your church steps into a sacred moment: someone new walks through your doors. That moment is full of potential—but whether a guest returns often hinges on what happens after the service. At Aaron Hur Group, we’ve seen again and again that a clear, relational follow-up process is a key differentiator between “one-time visitor” and “new family in your church.”
To help you lean into this, here are 5 keys—with up-to-date research to back them up.
1. Respond Quickly
Speed matters. A simple thank-you text or email sent Sunday afternoon says, “You weren’t invisible.” Keep it short, personal, first name, warm tone—not like a checkbox.
2. Make It Personal
Within 24–48 hours, reach out via phone, text, or handwritten note from a pastor or leader. Don’t pitch—converse. Ask how their experience was and whether you can help.
This kind of relational momentum helps guests feel seen and welcomed—not just processed.
3. Offer One Clear Next Step
Don’t overwhelm with a dozen options. Offer one simple next move such as:
A newcomer class / “Next Steps” session
Joining a small group
Volunteering for a first-touch role
Clarity leads to action.
4. Stay Consistent
Follow-up is not a one-off. Stretch your engagement across 3–4 weeks with reminders, personal invites, and check-ins. People need multiple touchpoints to feel remembered.
5. Keep It Relational, Not Transactional
The goal isn’t “getting them to fill out a card” or “sign up now” — the goal is belonging. Teach your team to listen, not push. Invite, not pressure.
Why These Keys Matter: Recent Church Trends & Benchmarks
Inserting solid data helps ground these practices in the real world. Here are a few compelling statistics for 2025:
Visitor retention benchmarks: Growing churches report ~20% of first-time guests become part of the church. That number jumps to ~40% on a second visit and ~60% by a third.
Monthly attendance levels: One-third of U.S. adults attend religious services in person at least once or twice a month, and 25% attend weekly. Pew Research Center
Younger generations leading a shift: Gen Z and Millennials now attend on average 1.9 and 1.8 weekends per month, respectively—outpacing older generations. Barna Group
Growth among Protestant churches: 52% of U.S. Protestant churches report growth of at least 4% over the past two years. Lifeway Research
These numbers reinforce the urgency: too many visits are lost after just one or two weeks, and the opportunity to retain younger attenders is rising. If your church does follow-up well, you can outpace the trend by converting new guests into engaged participants.
Final Thought
You don’t need 20 touchpoints or a complex funnel. What you do need is timely, personal, relational consistency. That’s what differentiates churches that grow spiritually and numerically from those that plateau.
If your church wants help building follow-up systems, scripting relational invites, or training your team in hospitality culture, Aaron Hur Group would love to walk alongside you.
Here's a Infographic to help:
Final Thought
A healthy guest follow-up process doesn’t have to be complicated—it has to be consistent and personal. When churches take this seriously, they don’t just see more guests return; they see lives changed, families connected, and disciples made.
If your church needs help designing or strengthening your systems for welcoming and retaining guests, our team at The Aaron Hur Group would love to come alongside you.
👉 Contact us today to explore how we can help your church thrive in creating a culture of hospitality and connection.
