How Much is a Phone Call Worth?
We’re building a series based on the first-time guest follow up process. (You can see the first five parts here, here, here, here, and here.)
You can read back over all of those “how to” and “why to” posts, yet still be left with the question: is it worth it?
Do I have the time to make these phone calls?
Is there really a return on investment?
Do guests actually care about a call?
To answer those questions, let me be unfair and melodramatic and pull out the big guns with a story.
Back in 2008, a young couple visited our church for the first time. They were run through our standard follow up process (Monday night phone call, midweek follow up email, etc.). Several months later, he confided to me that, while our church had been on their short list to check out, they didn’t view it as a viable option because they lived more than a half hour away.
But the phone call was the tipping point.
That phone call set off a chain of events that changed the trajectory of their lives. A few examples:
Because of the follow up, they decided to come back.
And attended a newcomers event.
And became covenant members.
And became super-volunteers in our kids ministry.
And he eventually came on our staff.
And years later they became two of our church planters overseas.
And now they’re back stateside, raising kids and living on mission in a rapidly-growing city.
Now to be clear, I did ‘fess up at the beginning that this was an unfair and melodramatic story, and not every first-time guest follow up call turns into something like this. And the Holy Spirit could’ve easily worked out all of these things in their lives even if the phone call never happened. He didn’t need us to make that call.
But it was the power of a phone call that allowed us to partner with them to see the gospel go to the ends of the earth. Without that call, they may have written us off. Without that call, their gifts would’ve been used elsewhere.
Without that call, we would have missed out on seeing God use them for their good and his glory.
So don’t write off the power of a phone call. Pick up the phone and follow up with your first timers.
