Nelson Searcy - Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests into Fully Engaged Members of Your Church

Everything you and I do as church leaders stems from one common goal: to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Our work is not about perfecting our worship sets and preaching, having the best intro videos in town, or bringing in crowds so that we can feel good about our numbers. None of these things are ends unto themselves, but only means to the end of introducing people to Jesus and helping them grow as his disciples. And that introduction begins the minute a first-time guest walks through our doors.

Since the original release of Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests into Fully Engaged Members of Your Church , the process for assimilating newcomers that is outlined in these pages has been tested, refined, improved, and proven time and time again not only by The Journey Church but also by the thousands of church leaders I have coached in the United States and around the world. I stand on a track record of having trained well over three thousand churches to use the system that you are about to discover. Out of that number, there are literally thousands of success stories from church leaders who have implemented the Fusion system to revolutionize their growth and change lives.

In the pages ahead, you will have the opportunity to learn from those who have gone before you. This revised and expanded edition of Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests into Fully Engaged Members of Your Church is chock-full of new insights based on the cumulative positive experiences of the leaders who are using Fusion to keep the guests God sends from slipping through the cracks. You will discover well-tested and confirmed strategies for everything involved in helping guests walk the path from their first visit to their second visit to regular attendance and finally to membership, all the while introducing them to the love of Jesus and inviting them into a growing relationship with him.

When it comes to fusing newcomers into your congregation, small efforts reap big rewards. You dont have to be ready to implement the entire assimilation system presented here right away. Feel free to start small. By taking a few crucial stepslike developing a Connection Card culture (see chapter 4) or starting to send short, handwritten notes to your first-time guests (see chapter 5)you can radically impact the number of first-timers who return again and again. Study the powerful system detailed ahead with an open heart and open mind. Then start implementing it at your own speed. God will honor your willingness to make the small changes in your church that can help shine his love to those first-time gifts hes graciously sending your way.

Partnering with God to connect people to his church is significant work. My prayer is that as you dive into the pages aheadwhether you have used the Fusion system before and are back for a refresher, whether you are a seasoned pastor looking for a way to reenergize your growth or are just beginning your journey of leading a church that reaches people for the kingdomGod will speak to your heart and mind as you prepare for the awe-inspiring task he has set before you.