Jump into the art of visitor retention with Bill T-B in this week’s Catalytic Conversation. Discover practical strategies to transform first-time guests into engaged community members. Learn the secrets behind making meaningful connections, ensuring every newcomer feels valued. Join us on Thursday at 10 CDT as we unlock the potential for growth in your congregation.

Welcome to the Growing Church Network Catalytic Conversations podcast with host Bill Tenney-Britton. In this episode Bill explains why hospitality is the crucial factor in turning first-time visitors into returning guests, especially during the holiday season. He covers the importance of web presence, guest parking, greeters outside, clear signage, ushers, conversation-based connection techniques, details like coffee and restrooms, secure kids check-in, avoiding insider language, and effective follow-up strategies. Learn practical, actionable steps to improve first impressions and increase your guest return rate.

Sure, "Everyone" knows who you are ... or at least knows what your church is all about. Right?

Probably not. In fact, you'd be surprised how little your community knows about your church, even if you're highly visible in your community. And there's a great way to test that ... and once you know the truth, there are plans you put into place to "fix" the problem that you probably don't even know you have.

In this episode, Drs. Kris and Bill share the best practices to help give your church a positive reputation in your town.

Join us for another lively conversation with Drs. Kris and Bill as they uncover the real priorities driving your church. They’ll explore how to spot the difference between what you say you value and what you actually prioritize. Using practical exercises and biblical examples, they’ll reveal your church's true core values and give you tools to help align them with your mission.

The vast majority of churches in the United States seem to have embraced the model of congregational chaplaincy. The church hired the pastor to take care of the flock. The problem with that model is that it's not biblical and it guarantees that the church will decline to the point that it must close. In this episode, Drs. Kris and Bill have a lively conversation about leading a congregation to the transition from chaplaincy to transformational.

It's that time of year when planning summer, fall, and event winter events is upon us. Instead of creating events that only a few neighbors attend, and virtually nobody shows up for worship as a result, Drs. Kris and Bill will show you how to create events that will allow your neighbors and connect them with your congregation and with your Sunday services.

If you are a marketing pro, you already know the difference between Impressions and reach. Impressions are the number of times a particular ad is displayed, and reach is the number of people who connected with that ad in some meaningful way. When it comes to the church, the effectiveness of your reach is largely based on who sees the Impressions. If this sounds confusing, don't worry, Drs. Kris and Bill will be having a lively conversation about how to make the biggest impression on those in your community so that you can reach them.

Ever wonder why so many church growth initiatives fail? It's because there's a lack of strategy in most of them. In this episode, Drs. Kris and Bill have a lively conversation about The core strategy that it takes to grow a church today.