2. An annual groups push allows us to put the strongest focus on getting connected.
Again. Imagine a loud horn blaring. Settling for an annual groups push fails to take into consideration several important realities.
- Unconnected people are almost always your least frequent attenders. Developing a year-round groups strategy dramatically increases your chances of connecting unconnected people.
- Unconnected people are always one tough thing away from never being at your church again. Every unconnected person has a closing window of opportunity. Many windows will certainly close between annual emphases.
- Not all unconnected people respond to same invitation. Some are new to the community (and will respond to simple opportunities to connect). Some have had a challenging year (and will respond to an opportunity for a new beginning). Still others will be drawn to a particular topic of study (as opposed to an overt invitation to community). Offering multiple invitations to connect, spread strategically across the calendar, provides the best opportunity to connect the largest number of people.
3. Providing and promoting a menu of belonging and becoming options isn’t hurting anything.
The truth is, promoting only the best next step connects the largest number of people. Carefully designing an easy, obvious and strategic first step out of the auditorium leads to greater connection.
Developing (or allowing) a menu of options is a great temptation. After all, doesn’t providing more choices give something for everyone? For every taste?
Actually, no. It turns out that offering more choices leads to fewer selections; fewer purchases. This is true in retail, restaurants, travel, etc. Carefully designed, perfectly tailored opportunities lead to greater participation; carefully designing an easy, obvious, and strategic first step out of the auditorium leads to greater connection.
