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Drive Conference Guest Services
By Casey Ross / Director of Ministry Services / Browns Bridge Community Church One of my favorite times of the year is here! I love our Drive Conference! It's so humbling to have leaders from around the world come to our North Point campus each year. And it's such an honor to talk with them and learn from them. When you attend a conference, there are certain expectations you have. You expect the content to be helpful. You expect the quality to be excellent. You expect the systems you have to go through to be efficient. You expect the group putting on the conference to wow you. I hope...and think...those who attend Drive will experience these things. But what I hope the most is that those who attend Drive will experience feeling like they were the priority of the conference. Yes, we paid attention to content, quality, systems, etc. But we paid the most attention to them. One thing we take very seriously...in a really fun way...at Drive is how we welcome, inform, and serve those who attend. Every person who attends is our special guest for these few days. And every one of our staff members is a part of Guest Services for these few days. This year, however, we created six teams whose job is to pay special attention to our guests: Information Center Team Parking Team Inside the Auditorium Host Team Outside the Auditorium Host Team Rest Stop Team Wish Granting Team You can't just say people are the most important thing to you. You have to act like it. If you are here attending Drive and reading this...thank you for being here! If you are here looking for some help with Guest Services at your church...people are always the most important part of anything you do.
Continue reading...Once Is Not Enough
26. April 2010
By Jake Miller / Director of Guest Services / Browns Bridge Community Church If you’ve ever had the privilege of casting vision to your volunteers, then there is no doubt you’ve learned this very simple truth: saying it once is not enough. Vision leaks quickly. In order to keep vision in front of our Volunteers, we have to repeat it regularly. We must continually look for opportunities to remind them what our mission is, why it’s important, and how we’re going to accomplish it. By doing this, we begin to create a culture in which our Volunteers not only know and understand the vision, they own the vision. Last week, we hosted a Night of Worship at Browns Bridge and I got to see an example of what it looks like when Volunteers own the vision. Night of Worship is an event we do four times each year, primarily for our “insiders”, that consists of Worship, Prayer and Communion. It is a much different environment than a regular Sunday morning. A handful of our Guest Services Volunteers help facilitate communion but, unlike most Sundays, they have no other responsibilities. They are there to attend, just like everyone else. If you had joined us last Thursday, however… you would have guessed differently. Throughout the night, I observed our Guest Services Volunteers opening doors, welcoming guests, helping guests find seats and answering questions. They were going above and beyond what was expected of them in order to create a wonderful experience for each of our guests. Were they asked to do this? No. They were simply demonstrating ownership of the vision. They get it. They understand our mission. They understand why we do what we do. They understand that their role as a volunteer with Guest Services is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ by welcoming, informing and serving our guests… even when they’re not “on duty”. At the end of the night, I found them and celebrated that. The next day, I celebrated it again. I followed up with every Volunteer, recognized what they had done, and thanked them. And you know what… I’ll use their story to cast vision to other Volunteers down the road. Because we’re not there yet. Vision leaks. People forget. Next week, I’ll be casting vision. The week after that, I’ll be casting vision again. I would love for every single Volunteer to own the vision the way those Volunteers did last week. But, I realize that in order for that to happen… saying it once is not enough.
Continue reading...A Hole In Guest Services
22. March 2010
By Casey Ross / Director of Ministry Services / Browns Bridge Community Church Browns Bridge has been open a little over three years. We have amazing volunteers on our Parking Teams, Host Teams, and Information Center Teams. We have the best leadership over Guest Services...I can say that because it is not me. Over the last year, we have really become intentional about focusing on not only the how of Guest Services but also the why of Guest Services. So you would think we have Guest Services pretty much figured out. We don't. We have discovered a significant hole in Guest Services. How did we discover this hole? Waumba Land, our preschool environment, made us aware of the hole. Apparently a number of first time guests have been walking into our building, feeling uncertain about where to go, and have been coming to our preschool check-in area to get help. Our preschool volunteers have done a tremendous job of helping these guests, but it's not their job to do this. So we're creating a first time guest assistance kiosk right next to our preschool environment. We've never done anything like this, and we're still working on what it will look like. But we're excited about one more opportunity to welcome, inform, and serve our guests, especially our first time guests. This situation has reminded us of two important things. First, those involved in Guest Services should not be the only ones evaluating Guest Services. Second, we will never have Guest Services all figured out.
Continue reading...Serving Guests With Special Needs
17. February 2010
By Jake Miller / Director of Guest Services / Browns Bridge Community Church It goes without saying that every church in America has designated "handicapped" parking spaces for those with special needs. It's the law. Offering these parking spaces allows our guests with special needs to park closer to our building, which is a great thing. But, what if we could do more? At Browns Bridge, we recently took steps to improve the guest experience for those with special needs. In the picture below, you'll notice that we added a small sign to each of our handicapped parking spaces. The telephone number on the sign is a direct line to our Information Center. At any point on Sunday, when a guest with special needs attends our church, they can simply dial this number to receive assistance. [caption id="attachment_334" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="BBCC - Handicapped Parking"][/caption] From the moment our guests with special needs arrive in the parking lot until the time they leave, we have a Guest Services Volunteer available to help them if needed. We've already seen this system put into action, and it has been a success. Creating this sign was a simple step for us to take, and it is one more way we are improving the experience for every guest on Sunday.
Continue reading...When You Think About Guest Services
9. February 2010
By Casey Ross / Director of Ministry Services / Browns Bridge Community Church You may not have a Guest Services Director, Team, or Committee at your church. You may never have scheduled a meeting about how your church does Guest Services. But you think about Guest Services. And what you think about Guest Services says a whole lot about your church. Here are some common (intentional and unintentional) thoughts about Guest Services... We're not big enough to think about Guest Services. If your church is open, you're big enough to think about Guest Services. If people come to your church, you're big enough to think about Guest Services. All it takes is one person who really cares about how your church treats people and their experience from the time they arrive at your church until the time they leave your church. Large groups of people do not matter more than small groups of people. People matter and should be treated as guests at your church. We don't need an official Guest Services. While this thought may seem innocent enough, be careful that you're not making some assumptions: People will figure it (where to go, what to do, how to do it, etc.) out themselves. People will ask if and when they need help. "Our" people will naturally help those who are new. We don't need Guest Services. By not having any type of Guest Services strategy or plan, you may be communicating to your people that you don't expect anyone new to show up on Sunday. And while it may be true that the same people come to your church every Sunday, you can begin to create a new culture where that is not the expectation and accepted norm. Guest Services is one way to begin creating a new culture. Guest Services are a must. There are numerous ways to do Guest Services at your church. Be intentional. Look through the eyes of someone who is new to your church. Make sure how you do Guest Services is an extension of the culture of your church.
Continue reading...Information, Please…
26. January 2010
By Donna Vonfeldt / Information Center Coordinator / Browns Bridge Community Church Guests arrive at our Information Center each Sunday with all kinds of questions. Everyone wants to know what, when, where, why, and how. Questions range anywhere from baptism and programs we offer to directions to another part of the building. When it comes to informing our guests, we realize our volunteers can only be as helpful as the information they are given in advance. They need up-to-date, accurate information about programs, ministries, and events... with LOTS of details. In this case, MORE is better. The name of the event, who it’s for, dates, times, locations, and registration information are pertinent details to include. We make it a priority to give our volunteers access to detailed information about events and ministry areas so they can provide the best possible answers to the questions our guests will have. But beyond answering questions and giving out information, our volunteers go one step further. Our volunteers serve as ambassadors of Browns Bridge. We have the unique opportunity to personally connect with the guests who come to us with questions or comments. Here's an example: If a guest asks where our Kid's Environments are, rather than pointing to its location... we offer to take them there. This allows us to have a conversation with them as we walk. Not only do they end up with the correct information, they now feel like they know someone here and see that we genuinely care about their experience. Taking an interest in each guest who approaches us goes a long way in making them feel welcomed and wanted.
Continue reading...Emergencies Happen
11. January 2010
By Casey Ross / Director of Ministry Services / Browns Bridge Community Church I was never a Cub Scout or a Boy Scout. To be honest, I know very little about the organization. But I do know and love their motto: "Be prepared." It's a valuable phrase for any church's Guest Services to live by. In addition to parking, traffic flow, greeters, ushers, etc., a church's Guest Services leaders typically are the first people who respond to any number of situations on a Sunday morning. One of the situations every church needs to be prepared for are medical emergencies. It does not matter how many people attend your church, a medical emergency can happen this Sunday. You cannot prevent something like this from happening. But how you respond when it does happen is vital. In the most extreme circumstances, it can mean life or death. In many circumstances, it can communicate to a guest that the church cares about them and is prepared to help them. At a church the size of Browns Bridge, we have a Medical Call List. Every Sunday, medical professionals we have identified check-in at our Information Center and are given a pager. If their pager goes off, we have a system in place that gets them to the emergency as quickly and easily as possible. While a staff member stays in charge of the scene, the medical professional is allowed to use the skills and abilities God has given them to assist the guest. But the size of your church does not matter. Identify who the medical professionals are in your church. Ask them if they would be willing to make themselves available. Come up with a way to know where they are and how to communicate with them. And determine a plan for when a medical emergency does happen. Be prepared.
Continue reading...Valuing Volunteers
21. December 2009
By Mike Hartley / Director of Guest Services / North Point Community Church The role, Director of Guest Services, can become problematic when taken too literally. We should hold any such titles we have been assigned up to brilliant bright light. Rather than managing from a Director's Chair, we would be better served by consciously operating from a role of support and encouragement. Paul suggested to the church at Philippi: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had." (Philippians 2: 3-5) Our mission of welcoming, informing, and serving our guests is dependent on the gracious participation of an incredible group of volunteers. This realization should provide an impetus to serve and support rather than direct and dictate. Identify, recruit, apprentice, and develop volunteer leaders with like values. Constantly affirm your thanks and blessings for their contributions and participation and seek ways to better support them. A strategy of authentic service and sincere recognition is overwhelmingly appreciated more than any material recognition one could possibly provide and will lead to increased numbers who want to serve. More volunteers means greater individual margin preventing service burn out. The win is volunteer satisfaction, and less attrition. The result is caring, dedicated servants all focused on creating a warm, welcoming, safe environment where the unchurched can come and hear life-changing truth that Jesus Christ cares for them and died for their sins.
Continue reading...When Someone Has A Bad Experience
17. December 2009
By Casey Ross / Director of Ministry Services / Browns Bridge Community Church You can think through every detail. You can create strong systems. You can train every volunteer. You can prepare for every situation. And someone is going to have a bad experience at your church. You can't be perfect. Sometimes their bad experience is your fault. A system may fail. A volunteer may mess up. Sometimes their bad experience is not your fault. Another guest may do or say something. The guest's expectations may be unrealistic. Regardless of whose fault it is, be very thankful when you hear about their bad experience. When (not if) someone has a bad experience at your church, be very thankful when you know about it. If you do not hear about it, you cannot do anything to fix what went wrong. You cannot do anything to apologize and attempt to make the situation right. And you cannot do everything possible to make sure it does not happen again. When a guest has a bad experience at Browns Bridge, it gives us several opportunities. First, it gives us the opportunity to apologize. Too many times in today's culture, people and organizations make excuses. It's okay and healthy to say we're sorry and admit we messed up. Second, it gives us the opportunity to admit we're not perfect. This is a good thing for others to hear, but it is a very good thing for us to admit to ourselves. Third, it gives us the opportunity to cast vision. Any time we're apologizing to someone, we have a captive audience. What better time to cast vision and connect their experience to our vision?
Continue reading...Reach Out To Your Volunteers
15. December 2009
By Erin Ritter / Guest Services Volunteer Coordinator / Buckhead Church Recently, we had a young lady join one of our Guest Services teams. After her first Sunday serving with us, we didn’t see her again. We contacted her to make sure everything was alright and soon realized that, because of a simple miscommunication, she had been placed on the wrong team. That’s an easy problem to solve, so we quickly moved her to the appropriate team. However, after her first Sunday with the new team we noticed that, again, she continued to be absent. We understand that people’s circumstances change, so we began to wonder if Guest Services was just not the right fit for her. It’s not for everyone, and we would never want anyone to feel obligated to serve in an area that wasn’t suited for them. I asked her Team Captain to reach out to her to see if we could help her find a better fit. When the Team Captain communicated with her, she quickly found that this volunteer was dealing with some difficult things in her personal life. There were financial struggles. She is a single mom, raising four children on her own… one of whom is very sick. These issues were the reason for her absences. Through several conversations, a friendship began to develop. Her Team Captain came alongside to encourage her, pray for her, and help her carry these heavy burdens. Today, her team and her church are helping her navigate through this difficult time in her life. One of the tangible ways we are doing this is by providing Christmas for her family. This season, North Point Ministries is helping many families in need both locally and globally. This volunteer’s family is one of them. All because her Team Captain took the time to invest in a relationship with her.
Continue reading...Resources
Basic Guest Services Org. Chart
Sample Guest Services Director Job Description
Sample Information Center Captain Role
Sample Information Center Volunteer Role
Sample Worship Service Preschool Card
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2. May 2010
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