How many of us have looked around the sanctuary or the foyer and noticed  with a note of satisfaction  new faces on a Sunday morning? It is easy to credit good preaching, a welcoming atmosphere or effective outreach for growth that surely must be occurring, given all the newcomers.
But newcomers don't necessarily equal growth  not until they come back. If those unfamiliar faces don't become familiar, the church is failing in a significant aspect of growth: assimilation.
Dr. Thom Rainer tells us most churches struggle with assimilating new members. While there is no secret formula for closing that "back door," you can improve new member retention significantly by following four key principles his research uncovered.
I'm sure you will agree with Dr. Rainer that it is imperative to give new members reasons to stay. Connect them to the church body, or chances are they will be just passing through. Our weekly Research Bit shows how important small group participation is to the formerly unchurched - those new faces you noticed on Sunday.
We've included a list of articles that you should find helpful as you tackle assimilating new members into your congregation.
And, of course, our Required Reading list of books features titles that can give you more information on the topic.
As always, drop me a line to let me know how we're doing.
God's blessing on your ministry!
Tom Harper
Publisher, Church Central
tomh@churchcentral.com
