Aside from having relevant worship, there is one thing that appears on every survey of why people return to a church- they felt the church was friendly. What they meant was that somebody said hello to them.

But here is what is surprising. There is a ten minute window immediately following the service when visitors determine if the church is friendly. The service is over, the greeters are gone, the people want to get home and that’s when visitors decide if they are going to return.

So, here’s the three minute rule. Train you people that the first three minutes after the service they aren’t supposed to talk to anyone they know. They are either to remain silent or introduce themselves to someone they don’t know. Most people will choose to introduce themselves to someone they don’t know.