Beware the Burden of the User-Friendly Experience
I’m a huge believer in making things easy for our first-time guests: less hoops. Fewer barriers. Minimal confusion. I think many of us would do well to “begin with the end in mind” … to...
Latest posts
Four Types of Volunteer Huddles (and Why They Matter)
We’ve talked before about the importance of the volunteer huddle. Whether you hold yours prior to the service or once the service is underway (and that article includes an argument for the latter), a regular...
2026 Connections Confab: Applications Are Live!
Way way back in 2015 we launched a coaching network called Connections Confab. Today we count over 120 leaders from Maryland to Mississippi and California to North Carolina (and all points in between) as part of our...
The Outsized Power of an Outward Posture
A few weeks ago we assigned a group of volunteers some homework: This Sunday, take ten minutes to stop serving and simply observe: what would a guest encounter that adds to or takes away from...
Danny Recommends: Brushfire
Every so often we dip our toes into a series called Danny Recommends:, posts that tip you off to the stuff that I…you know. The recommendations might be products for use in your ministry, resources that will...
How to Lead Your “Too-Friendly” Volunteers
In a recent post I addressed how we can help our volunteers to be more proactive in watching for first-time guests. The guest’s body language, arrival times, and spoken-out-loud questions can signal opportunities for deeper...
Top Ten Quotes: De-Sizing the Church
I have a long-standing respect and admiration for Karl Vaters, the go-to voice for the smaller church in general and church health in particular. And so I was understandably skeptical – dare I say fearful...
How to Celebrate Volunteers During Life’s Milestones
Leaders have certain responsibilities towards those whom we lead: we’re responsible for training. We’re responsible for coaching. We’re responsible for correcting. But to our volunteers, one of the most felt responsibilities is how we care...
Every Day is Sunday Morning.
This is the next installment in our ongoing “Large Church” series, which looks at guest services through the lens of the larger congregation: those with an average attendance of 800 or more. See the entire...
How Your Building’s Shape Impacts Your Hospitality
We’ve talked before about the challenges of leading a Guest Services Team in a building that seems to have been designed in spite of our guests, not because of them. Whether you’re in a renovated...
