Someone visited your church on Sunday.

What happens Monday?

In this episode of The Great Commission Toolkit, I'm joined again by my brother, Pastor Josh Williams of CrossPoint in Foley, Alabama, to break down the actual system his church uses to follow up with first-time Sunday guests.

We talk about everything from the moment someone walks through the doors to the texts, phone calls, and personal connections that happen during the first two weeks.

And one of the most important principles is this:

Follow-up isn't about getting something from people. It's about ministering to people.

In this episode, we discuss:

👋 How to make first-time guests feel comfortable

📝 Why Josh keeps his visitor card to just a name, phone number, and optional prayer request

🎁 How to use a welcome gift to begin a conversation

⛪ Why he doesn't ask visitors to stand up during the service

📱 The Monday-morning text he sends every first-time guest

🙏 How to use follow-up as an opportunity to genuinely pray for people

📲 Why he connects with guests on Facebook

📅 The Friday or Saturday reminder that invites them back

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 How youth pastors and ministry leaders can help with follow-up

☎️ When Josh makes a personal phone call

🤝 Why building relationships matters more than simply getting someone to attend another service

Josh also explains how he uses Text In Church to automate reminders and organize communication without losing the personal touch.

You don't need an elaborate system to begin.

Whether your church has 30 people or 300, you can start with a simple visitor card, a thoughtful text message, and a genuine desire to minister to people.

The goal isn't just to get guests back. The goal is to build relationships that help people know Christ and grow in their walk with Him.

🎙️ The Great Commission Toolkit | Excellerate Ministries

🔗 https://linktr.ee/excellerateministries

#ChurchFollowUp #ChurchGrowth #ChurchVisitors #ChurchOutreach #Evangelism #ChurchLeadership #GreatCommissionToolkit

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Your church just had a big outreach event. Hundreds of people attended.

What do you do with all those contacts now?

In this episode of The Great Commission Toolkit, I'm joined again by my brother, Pastor Josh Williams of Crosspoint in Foley, Alabama, to walk through a practical church event follow-up strategy you can begin implementing immediately.

Josh explains exactly how he collects contact information, uses a church texting system, and follows up with families after events like fall festivals, back-to-school outreaches, and other community activities.

And this isn't just about sending a generic “Thanks for coming” message.

It's about intentionally building relationships with people so you can continue sharing the gospel and inviting them to church.

In this episode, we discuss:

📱 How to send personalized texts to hundreds of event attendees

📝 How to organize contact information after an outreach

🙏 The first text Josh sends—and why it asks for prayer requests

🎙️ Using short voice messages to personally pray for families

📅 Why starting a new sermon series after an event can help

📲 Saturday-night and Sunday-morning reminders

🎄 How to reconnect with families at Christmas, Easter, and future events

🤝 Why effective follow-up is about relationships, not just attendance

One of the most encouraging stories in this episode is about a family that attended church events for four years before finally coming to a Sunday service.

Their grandson trusted Christ, and the family eventually became regular church members.

Four years of intentional follow-up helped keep that relationship alive.

Whether your church uses Text In Church, another two-way texting platform, or even individual text messages, you can begin putting these principles into practice.

You don't need a huge church staff or an enormous budget.

You need the Lord's leading and plan to carry it out.

🎙️ The Great Commission Toolkit | Excellerate Ministries

In the next episode, we'll discuss the follow-up process for regular Sunday morning visitors.

Have questions about church outreach or follow-up? Reach out through our ministry links!

Questions or coaching with Pastor Josh Williams: pastorjosh@crosspointoffoley.org

Template for the Connection Card: https://canva.link/kkjopwh65mpq86v

Donate to our ministry: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/4894299

Follow us on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/excellerateministries

Send in Question to chase@excellerateministries.com

#ChurchFollowUp #ChurchGrowth #ChurchOutreach #Evangelism #ChurchVisitors #ChurchLeadership #GreatCommissionToolkit

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Your church had visitors on Sunday.

What should you do next—and how quickly should you do it?

In this episode of The Great Commission Toolkit, I'm back with my brother, Pastor Josh Williams of Crosspoint in Foley, Alabama, to get practical about one of the most important parts of church outreach: following up with first-time guests.

Last episode, we talked about WHY every church needs a follow-up system.

This time, we're talking about where to start.

Josh explains why he recommends contacting guests within 24 hours, how to collect visitor information without making people uncomfortable, and ways churches can follow up even better because of the digital age.

We cover:

📱 Why Josh recommends following up within 24 hours

👋 How to make your first contact personal and welcoming

☕ Building relationships through coffee or lunch

📝 What to put on a church visitor card

🎁 Using welcome gifts to connect with guests

👥 Training a team to collect visitor information

📲 Paper cards vs. QR codes and digital registration

🎉 How to collect contact information at church outreach events

🎟️ Using preregistration and giveaways effectively

⛪ Practical ideas for both small and growing churches

One of the biggest principles from this conversation is:

Don't make follow-up complicated. Make it intentional.

For Sunday visitors, Josh recommends a simple card asking for a name and phone number, paired with a personal introduction and a clear explanation of why the church would like to contact them.

For community events, he explains how preregistration, entrance check-in, and interactive giveaways can help churches build connections with families.

And when it comes to reaching out?

Don't wait two weeks to make the first contact.

A timely, thoughtful message can help begin a relationship that extends well beyond a single Sunday or special event.

Our goal isn't just collecting names or increasing attendance. We want to build relationships, share the gospel, and help people become growing disciples of Jesus Christ.

🎙️ The Great Commission Toolkit | Excellerate Ministries

In the next episode, Josh will explain the actual follow-up process and the tools he uses to make it work.

If this episode helps you, share it with a pastor, outreach director, or church leader!

Questions or coaching with Pastor Josh Williams: pastorjosh@crosspointoffoley.org

Donate to our ministry: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/4894299

Follow us on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/excellerateministries

Send in Question to chase@excellerateministries.com

#ChurchFollowUp #ChurchGrowth #ChurchOutreach #ChurchVisitors #Evangelism #ChurchLeadership #GreatCommissionToolkit

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