Trying something new pushes you outside of your comfort zone. Some experiences are great (riding a roller coaster). While others are miserable (riding a roller coaster after eating Taco Bell).
For youth leaders, we often forget that visiting a church is a huge deal for a middle or high school student. While many of us have welcome centers, visitor card, and free t-shirts for new students, the culture of our ministries can overlook the simple ways a student needs to feel connected.
Here are two essential experiences that every visiting student needs:
1. Students Want to Be Noticed
Nothing says, “You don’t matter to us or Jesus” better than when a student is not spoken to within the first five minutes of their arrival. They want to be noticed by the adults and other students. They want to share their name, their grade in school, and their hobbies. Both introverts and extroverts desire to be seen and spoken to. This goes beyond a non-personal greeting time during the service (many of us are in a unannounced competition to see how many hands you can shake…) to creating a hospitable culture where students are noticed.
What systems do you have in place to ensure your adult leaders and students are engaging first time visitors?
2. Students Want to Be Known
How many times have you walked up to a student, who you are positive is a visitor, and found out that you have met him before and have forgotten your entire encounter with this person?
Nothing says, “You aren’t important to us or Jesus” quite like forgetting who the student is. After you meet a student and learn her name and school, it is imperative that you remember that information for the next time you see her.
Greeting a first-time student isn’t enough — we must remember his name when he is a second-time visitor.
I know this is near impossible when you have a large amount of visitors, but your leadership team must find several ways to ensure students are known when they attend your group for a second time.
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