‘Mystery worshippers’ could soon be visiting churches to evaluate the effectiveness of their outreach and welcome. Following a successful trial in the Midlands, researchers are now looking at developing a resource which would see non-church-going professional researchers secretly visit churches to assess their strengths and weaknesses. The research trial was organised by Christian Research and Christian Resources Exhibition to highlight areas where churches are doing well, and to identify how they can better meet people’s needs. Christian Research is conducting further research into the costs involved and predicted that a national programme could be in place from May.
Source: The Baptist Times (28/2)
http://www.baptisttimes.co.uk/news1.htm
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11 comments:
Please have any churches in the Midlands had experience of this independent researchand, if so, can you recommend this method of assessing our church?
The 'Ship of Fools' website has been sending out mystery worshippers for some years. My church was visited las year -- fortunately, when I *wasn't* preaching!
Not had the experience but there isn't actually any way that anyone could 'secretly visit' any of my churches. They are all small and rarely get visitors so everyone would know that that a visitor was not part of the congregation even if they didn't know why they were there.
One of my congregations needs to learn that pouncing on visitors is as off-putting as not talking to them. The others have got the balance right, I think.
I do think that being a small congregation in its own building is off-putting in itself. There is a smell of desperation. Whereas my really small churches that have given up their buildings are actually able to invite new people (usually friends or acquaintances) and give a relaxed welcome along the lines of 'You're very welcome to join us any time you like.'
Richard - Yes, but that was different! This resource being offered by independent non-churchgoing researchers, which should, in theory, be more helpful and realistic. The preacher shouldn't make any difference, though it often does. I've been instructed to advertise our services by 'Themes' rather than preachers' names this month. It will be interesting to see if it has any effect1
Pam - I see what you mean. Our Minister's habit of asking 'Have we any visitors today?' would blow the cover of any 'secret' worshippers.
Sounds interesting to me! I just wonder though Olive about your minister asking if there are any visitors unless of course you have a very large congregation - as a local preacher on our plan for a few years I generally know if there are people I haven't seen at a chruch before. I would hope the regular minister at a church who would probably be at any given church far more often that I am would certainly know and not need to ask.
Ian, it is different with large churches. I had the privilege of doing my placement in a church where there were 150+ people on a Sunday with lots of new people coming and going. The congregation was African and often bringing friends and relatives to church. We always asked whether there were new people and it is the custom in many countries (including my home country!) to welcome new people by asking them to stand and introduce themselves.
Having experienced both situations, I don't fault a minister of a large church for welcoming new visitors in this way. And, of course, some people don't make themselves known.
What happens in one of my churches now is that individuals who have moved away pop in; everyone else knows them except me!
As Pam describes, we do have a large congregation and it's not always easy to spot new people. Of course there are occasions when the Minister doesn't know returnees, and we do have a fair number of comings and goings. Our Minister was ordained in South Africa (and his wife is South African) so it may be one of the customs that he has brought here with him. He always comes down among the congregation to give the newcomers a special welcome.
Thanks Pam and Olive I think you have really just said what I was saying that it is easy to miss someone in a larger congregation, but perhaps not in a small one. Our minister is from Rwanda and while he does not welcome visitors in the way yours does he normally commences services by saying 'You are all most welcome' which is very nice.
I do wonder if some of our people would find the standing up and the special welcome embarrasing - would be interesting to see what the mystery worshipper from the 'Ship of Fools' would say about this.
Fat Prophet - This post is different from the 'Ship of Fools2This is a group of independent professional researchers who are non-churchgoers who are offering their research as a resource. They are still secret worshippers, of course. No-one has yet been embarrassed by our Minister's welcome - perhaps because they are not made to stand up and he goes right to them in the pew. Any who are shy and don't want to be identified as new simply don't indicate that they are visitors and are left in peace. I have seen several of this ilk and they have appreciated the gesture even though they didn't take it up. Much depends on the way the welcome is done.
I did realise these were two different types of mystery worshipper and having read a number of the reports on the Ship of Fools website I was really wondering what their mystery worshippers would make of the method used by your minister.
I also think that you are right in that the way the welcome is handled could either make or break it for some people and I am really pleased it works for your church - I am not entirely sure it would go down quite so well in the Black Country.
We saw a diiference last Sunday, which was Mother's Day when many people were away visiting their families (and when 10,000 people were running a Marathon in the town) and therefore we had a much smaller congregation. The four people returning to the church (I think to celebrate having been married here) were obvious to everyone, even though there was no formal welcome from the Deacon who was preaching.
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