mystery visitor

Every other month I receive a copy of Outreach Magazine (it's one of my favorites). At the end of each edition, there is a section called the "Mystery Visitor." In this section, Outreach Magazine gives a report from a company called Guest Reflections who sends an anonymous person to a random church in order rate their experience at the church. The visitor is not a "church expert" but just an average, unchurched community member. No one in the church knows the person is coming. Following the visit, there is an anonymous letter sent to the church staff reporting on the visit and a letter grade from "A" to "F" is given based on the scores from each category. Here are the six categories that the anonymous visitor must grade.

1. What were your first impressions?
Here the visitor talks about things like how easy it was to find where they were suppossed to go and how people looked at them and greeted them.

2. What was the inside like?
This is basically a question about what the church building was like. Was it traditional, modern, easy to navigate, inviting...things like that.

3. Describe the service.
Here the visitor gives insight to the worship service. Could they follow the order? Was the pastor engaging? Was the message clear to understand? What was the music like? Was there things they liked and disliked?

4. Was there an invitation to respond?
At some point during the service was there a chance to repsond to God working. No matter the method (ie...formal invitation, card in the offering plate, class after the service with counselors), did the church offer a chance to respond?

5. Did you connect with anyone at the church?
Here is the usually the hot topic where the visitor reflects on whether or not they felt welcomed during the visit. Did they meet anyone new? Did the greeting feel genuine? Did you feel like you knew when the next opportunity to come was clear?

6. Would you visit again?
Of all the responses, this is clearly most important.

The reason I love this section is because at the end of the page five words catch my attention: "Could this be your church?" I often find myself reflecting on First Quincy when I finish the article. How would the average, unchurched visitor rate their experience here. Would we give a good first impression? Would they feel welcomed? Would they be engaged by the worship experience? So many times I find myself at dinner Sunday afternoon reflecting on what I got out of the service instead of thinking about what a visitor might have experienced. So put yourself in the shoes of the average visitor to First Baptist Quincy and reflect on these six categories. Think about, and if you feel like, let me know how you think we're doing. It might be next month that our grade is in the back of my favorite magazine!