First-Time Guest Bags: a Q&A

The recent posts on our First-Time Guest bags and our redesigned First-Time Guest cups have sparked a few further questions via email, text, and social media. It’s giving me flashbacks of fourth grade Danny, who was routinely busted by Mrs. Abernathy for having side conversations in the back of the room, and freezing on the spot when I was asked, “Is this something you’d like to share with the rest of the class?” And now, finally, four decades later, yes. Yes I would.

Who designs your First-Time Guest supplies?

We have a graphic designer on staff who took care of the designs for the bag and both printed inserts. Another staff member designed the art for the tumbler. The goal for all of these designs is to make sure they have a similar look and size. We spent a lot of time getting the size of the bag, both inserts, and cups to “fit” with one another so the bag is not too small nor too cavernous. Additionally, we wanted the style of the printed inserts to complement rather than contradict one another.

You may not have a graphic designer on your team, but you probably have one in your church. If you can provide the content, they can usually provide the look. (Pro tip from Uncle Danny: let them get completely finished with the project, and then tell them you were going for more of a Comic Sans feel. Graphic designers respond really well to feedback like that, and they’ll love you for it.)

Where do you get your supplies?

The bag and two inserts are printed by a local vendor who does the majority of our printing for the church. Our history with them allows for some “institutional knowledge” where they are willing to help us source the things we need. The tumbler is from 4Imprint. Not a local company by any means, but a trustworthy vendor that we’ve used extensively.

Whenever you can, buy as much as you can in order to get price breaks. Your first-time guest numbers may not make sense for you to order a train car full of tumblers, but more product usually means less per-item cost. Do what’s wise here.

Is guest information a prerequisite for the bag?

I think most people who stop by a First-Time Guest Tent assume that we’re going to ask them for some information (see more in this post). Having said that, we never want an “info grab” to stand in the way of generosity. People can give as much or as little contact information as they are comfortable with, and we’ll happily hand them a bag.

The key here is to make sure they understand that the FTG Tent is our primary gateway to connection at the church. If someone tells us they don’t want to share info, the typical response should be, “That’s totally fine. Please take this gift from us anyway. And when you’re ready to take that step, we’re here. This is the best place to start your journey.”

Do you hand a bag to everyone, or just one family member?

The default is one per family, but again, generosity is key here. If both spouses want a bag, we’ll gladly hand them over. If the precocious six year old wants a bag, they get a bag, and then we flag them in the system so they get less Goldfish crackers that morning, evening everything out. (I kid.)

Since one of the primary purposes of the bag is for us to be able to easily identify first-time guests, it makes sense that we’d want more bags in more hands.

Do you have questions about our first-time guest process? Ask ’em below, and we’ll add to the list above.

---

photo credit: Stephanie Byrd