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What’s Up:
Most churches’ visitor follow-up seems to include giving a church-branded mug or a forgettable note … and then wonder why no one comes back.
So What:
A cheap or thoughtless gift is worse than no gift. Let me ask: Do you really need another coffee mug? (Didn’t think so). A “gift” like that tells your guest they were an afterthought. If you want to be remembered, your follow-up needs to mean something.
The Point Is:
The Visit Is the Win
Nothing makes an impression like a same-day drop-off. It says: “You mattered enough for someone to show up … fast.”
Forgettable Gifts Get Tossed
If your “gift” ends up at a thrift store or in the trash, all you’ve done is waste money. Think value, not volume.
Give a Conversation Piece
Books, branded coasters, or even a honey pot spark memory and relationship. Think “living room-worthy,” not “leftover inventory.”
Longevity Beats Novelty
A lasting reminder = a future return. Life happens. When trouble strikes, guests will return where the good memory lives.
And … ?
Let me be blunt: nobody wants your church-branded coffee mug. We’ve all got a dozen … and none of us care where we got them. The local thrift store has shelves full of them right now. So when you send one to a first-time guest, you’re not wowing them. You’re warehousing your outreach in a landfill.
Want to make an impression? Show up. That Sunday afternoon. Hand-deliver a real gift with real value. Something they’ll keep in the house. Something that doesn’t scream “marketing swag.” Because here’s the thing … they might not come back next week. In fact, statistically, they probably won’t. But when their marriage crumbles, or when grief sucker punches them, or when their kid asks hard questions … that coaster, or that honey pot, or that book you gave them becomes your best chance of a callback from the Holy Spirit.
Action!
Evaluate your church’s follow-up process—from collecting contact info to what lands in their hands by Sunday night.
