A Pastor's Guide to an Intentional Church Assimilation Strategy
The church’s mission has been given to us by Jesus, “...to go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19-20).
As a part of that mission, we have been called to care for the flock, the church at large, until Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, returns (1 Peter 5:2,4). As we care for our flock at large, we must also have a strategy for each sheep individually, because we care about every person. This is the heart of effective congregational care. Regardless of the size of a congregation, it is the church’s responsibility to foster small but powerful moments for individuals where they feel known and seen, loved and cared for, and have clarity on next steps to connect. Consider the following two categories for shepherding each person individually:
When the Individual Initiates Connection with the Church
This is the more traditional way of shepherding our people.
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An individual fills out a first-time guest card or visits an information area in the lobby
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A family registers their children in kids or student ministry
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An individual or family joins the church, whether through meeting with staff or participating in a new members class
But what if the church saw online services as a way to shepherd new guests? It’s no surprise that the primary way people now “visit” new churches is by watching a service online. Using a streaming service like Church Online or YouTube allows you to host the service through a staff member or volunteer who greets guests, answers questions, and is available to pray with them. This online team can be as valuable of a way to shepherd people as your process for in-person new guest cards and welcoming new families to your kids and student ministry.
When the Church Initiates Connection with an Individual
But what if you went a step further and didn’t wait for people to initiate a connection with your church? What if your church proactively initiated a connection with individuals when they reached certain milestones? Consider a process to track someone’s engagement in the church and celebrate when they take a new step in their faith journey.
The following milestones are opportunities to shepherd your people:
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When someone becomes a Christian
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When someone joins a small group or Bible study class for the first time
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When someone starts serving in the church for the first time
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When someone serves in local or global outreach for the first time
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When someone gives to the church for the first time
These are all opportunities for connection to be taken advantage of. If you have a process that tracks milestones like these, then pastors and staff can be assigned to each milestone and personally respond to each person as a part of their daily rhythms of shepherding and caring for the flock. This scalable pastoral care model ensures no one is overlooked. Those responses could be handwritten notes, emails, texts, phone calls, or in-person conversations to ensure timely communication. Regardless of the method, each interaction has the end objective of celebrating key moments and helping individuals and families deepen their connection within your church. When they are more connected to the church, then they have a place to belong and grow in their relationship with God. This is how you move someone from the crowd to community.
Your Pastoral Next Steps
Do you desire to shepherd your people more intentionally? Where do you go from here?
When the Individual Initiates
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Evaluate how you welcome new guests, both in person and online. This is your front door.
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Improve processes that ensure new guests are seen and known, and have clear next steps for connecting within your church.
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Recruit a volunteer team, if needed, to help you in the area of welcoming new guests (your Welcome or Hospitality Team).
When the Church Initiates
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Evaluate what areas in the life of your church can be tracked and celebrated.
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Build a process that ensures individuals are seen, known, and encouraged in their faith journey.
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Embed the value among your staff and key volunteer team of celebrating milestones for your people.
From Connection to Discipleship
Connecting people is the start, but a clear discipleship pathway is the goal.
Gain the clarity you need with our Discipleship Strategy Assessment. It provides a personalized, actionable report to evaluate your overall discipleship strategy. Don't just connect people; give them an intentional pathway to grow.
Go make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20) by shepherding and discipling each sheep individually with intentionality and care.
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By Virginia Ramsey
Director of Information Systems at Mariners Church & Rooted Network
