BOOK REVIEW: Fusion

Most church planters/pastors have no trouble with casting vision. Usually, the problem comes in implementing that vision. Enter Nelson Searcy. Nelson is simply the best strategist and systems guy I know. While some will cry, "He's a church growth guy" (he is) ... he puts the best systems in place, but understands that the Holy Spirit is the one growing the church.

One of biggest concerns for churches today is assimilating visitors (guests) into regular attenders and members. Nelson's book Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests into Fully-Engaging Members of Your Church is a great tool for every pastor (especially church planters) ... a must read... with very clear and tested assimilation strategies (and they do work... we use many of them at Mosaic DC). Here are some takeaways from my reading of the book... secure a copy, and enjoy!

1. God is consistently blessing His Church every Sunday with regular guests.

2. First-time guests are God’s gift to our church… no one comes through our doors haphazardly. What are we doing to be good stewards of His gifts to our church?

3. We ought to care about numbers in our church, because numbers are indicative of life change.

4. When we serve our guests well, we reflect Jesus’ attitude and mindset toward them. Many churches take their guests for granted by not showing intentional, biblical hospitality towards them. Christ’s Church should be more known for her hospitality than any luxurious hotel!

5. The more prepared a church is to receive guests, the more guests it receives.

6. First impressions are of the utmost importance! We only get 7 minutes… that’s how long it takes for a guest to determine whether or not he’ll return! If we create “raving fans” of our pre-service (what happens before the service even begins), they will be engaged throughout the rest of the service… and be more open and better prepared to hear from God.

7. The "next step" of assimilating first-time visitors is to get them to come back. We want people to return and bring their friends! Our goal should be to give as many people as possible the opportunity to hear the gospel.

8. Relationships are the glue that make people stick at our church!

9. It is our job as assimilators to encourage, plan/structure for, and facilitate opportunities for people to create friendships at our church. It is too important to leave to chance!

10. Responsibility precedes ownership and ownership precedes membership.