Fruitful Church Pastors – This One Thing

by Rev. Mark E. Tidsworth, Founder & Team Leader

Pastors, let’s talk for a minute. This article is going to describe what I hope is terribly obvious to every one of us — our engagement as pastors with newer people to our church is HUGE.

Yes, I know the role of pastor is to equip the saints for ministry. Yes, indeed. Agreed. 

AND, practically speaking, when pastors use this mindset to step back from direct engagement with newer persons, it’s detrimental to the engagement and evangelism efforts of one’s church. Yes, pastors need to equip the saints in our churches to engage with new people, AND pastors have a distinct role here to play. This is one place that pastoral engagement yields huge dividends. When pastors directly follow up with new persons, they experience this as loving care and interest (most people who leave contact information). When pastors do not directly follow up, or are very tangentially involved, many people interpret this as benign neglect or worse yet, a lack of interest. 

Allow me to illustrate.

First, let’s step back and consider how much courage it takes to attend worship in a new-to-you-church for the first time. I do this regularly, usually in my role as a minister and consultant, but sometimes just out of curiosity. When I’m not there in an “official” role, navigating around, finding my way, interacting with so many strangers, secretly chuckling at their awkwardness with a visitor… all that’s wrapped up in a church visit reminds me of the disincentives inherent in this experience. So, when someone visits a new-to-them-church for worship, for a small group, or in missional service for the first time, they are demonstrating courage. This is no small thing in our culture where churches are generally suspect in the larger culture. 

Second, fewer first-time-worshipers leave contact information. Regardless of how effective and simple our processes are for doing so, fewer people access them. It’s like they are applying the Leave No Trace hiking philosophy to their church engagement. So… when they do leave contact information, rejoice! AND then, by all means, contact them as soon as it’s earthly possible! Leaving contact information in our current cultural context is a loud message to your church: I WANT YOU TO CONTACT ME. 

Now, here are two distinct and contrasting experiences from my recent journey that highlight the necessity of pastoral engagement with newer persons. First, I took a field trip to a church whom I’ve been curious about for some time. Worship itself, along with navigating my way in and out, was excellent. Everything about this experience was top-notch. So, I filled out a connect card, including the fact that I’m a church consultant, and am impressed with their worship, values, and organization as a church. I thought I might want to connect with them personally and perhaps professionally. 

Then, crickets… for over three weeks. Then came two emails. The first told all about the church and how I could get involved. Thank you. And the second was from a staff member, starting like this:

Hi Mark!

Thank you for turning in a Connect Card this past Sunday! 

Well, actually I was there three Sundays ago. So, what’s it like receiving this kind of communication? Well, it raises considerations for us. If we are going to contact people quite a long time after they visit worship (3 weeks plus), we may inadvertently be saying they are low priority for us. Perhaps no contact at all is better at that point. Also, this first contact coming from a staff person and not the pastor might also suggest we are a lower priority for the identified leader of this organization. I’m also wondering if they are overwhelmed as a church, with low capacity to engage newer people. 

Perhaps I’m piling on too many expectations here given my role with churches… that’s possible. Yet I have to say that my observation with this particular church is they get a lot of visitors, making connecting with any one of them a lower priority. Surely that’s not the message this fine church wants to communicate… yet it is the message received on this end. 

Contrastingly, let me tell you about an anonymous leadership coaching client. This pastor is two plus years into a new call, serving with a First Church of that denomination. The engagement and hospitality energy of this church has become dormant over time, simply waiting for new people to find them and join up, rather than actually looking for those new people God wants to send them. So, not only is this newer pastor personally engaging with new persons, but is also doing two specific actions: scheduling coffee (or other beverage) with newcomers right away when they are open to this, and inviting groups of newcomers to their home for dessert and conversation. 

From where I sit, there are two identifiable outcomes so far in this pastor’s First Church context. One, newcomers are responding positively, with some joining this church, appreciating this pastor’s interest in them as people. Two, this pastor is influencing the culture of this First Church through behavior. People in this church are starting to look beyond themselves, waking up to a more proactive form of Christian hospitality. Both outcomes are clear wins. 

There is so much more to say on this topic, the role of pastors in fruitful churches. Yet, I’ll save that for the next clergy training event or missional consultation, perhaps. Until then, may we use the insights coming our way to more effectively engage people as the body of Christ.