The key to growth as a church, youth ministry, or a business is getting first-time guests to come back. And as any good manager of a hotel, a store, a restaurant, or an attraction knows, the key to getting guests to come back is not actually the rooms or the product or the food itself; it's how guests feel when they're there. It's about hospitality. No matter how much effort and time we spend on excellence--stirring worship time, inspiring sermons, a good coffee blend in the foyer--what our guests really want when they come to our churches is to feel welcome, comfortable, and understood.
Written by a church consultant and a hospitality expert, The Come Back Effect shows church, ministry, and even business leaders the secret to helping a first-time guest return again and again. Through an engaging, story-driven approach, they explain how service and hospitality are two different things, show how Jesus practiced hospitality, and invite leaders to develop and implement changes that lead to repeat visits and, eventually, to sustained growth.
Dr. Jason Young helps create environments where people love to work and serve by equipping leaders and teams to lead with clarity, empathy, and purpose. He is trusted by organizations such as Delta Air Lines, Life Church, North Point Ministries, the Global Leadership Summit, Google, Audi of America, and many others.
Jason holds doctoral degrees in leadership and hospitality, blending academic depth with real-world experience. His style, in writing and on stage, is story-driven, practical, and down-to-earth, helping leaders become the kind of people others love to follow.
When he’s not coaching or writing, Jason enjoys his role as a professor, investing in undergraduate through doctoral students because his own life was deeply shaped by a professor who believed in him.
I enjoyed this book on creating hospitality at church. Contains insights on providing great experiences for guests. Many practical ideas and insights for improvement.
This is a good and easy to read book with simple ideas to help build a ministry team around values and significance. Excellence is important. Helping staff and volunteers exceed is important. This book could also be used for business, even though the examples are for large megachurches. If I had one criticism, it's that the examples used in the book were for large multi-campus megachurches. While there is plenty of ideas here for smaller churches (which constitute most of the churches in America), it would have helped to have used examples from such churches for the reader to be able to gain a better understanding of the practices for excellence.
I pastored a small church for several years. Visitor after visitor would show up at the church, and at the end of the service would tell someone how much they had enjoyed the service, and that they would definitely be back the following week. People would come to me and excitedly share that news. But week after week we didn’t see those visitors again. We struggled with finding the secret to making first time guests returning guests. Jason Young and Jonathan Malm lay out a pretty good plan for getting people to return that’s based on hospitality. They suggest there are about ten things that the church needs to have in place for this to work. A lot of it is common sense, most churches have probably done some or all of these things at one time in their life cycle. But then people get complacent. “We’re a friendly church.” And the people in the church are friendly—with their friends. That just isn’t enough to make people want to return. So the need exists for a book like The Come Back Effect: How Hospitality Can Compel Your Churches Guests to Return (Baker Books, 2018). Church people need to be reminded that a first time guest doesn’t already know everyone there, doesn’t understand the unwritten rules, and certainly doesn’t know where to find the things that he or she needs to make walking into a strange place a pleasant experience. Since the guest doesn’t know, the regulars are tasked with help a new comer see the church as a familiar and welcoming place, rather than a strange place, and a frightening experience. There are ten relatively short chapters in this book, each focusing on a different thing that makes the guest truly feel welcome, a person, not just a potential member. Each chapter ends with a section called “Key Points and Takeaways” for example, in Chapter One ‘Focus on Feeling as Much as Function’, one of the giveaways is this simple: “Serving is task oriented; hospitality is feeling oriented. Simply performing tasks is not enough to compel a guest to come back”. Or this: ‘Decide proactively what you want your guests to feel, then look for ways to create environments that will help them experience that’. One of the things that I liked about this book is that as I was reading, I kept thinking “I knew that!” So many of the things the authors point out are pretty elementary things: things that most churches are doing or have done in some degree. Granted the examples given involve large churches with staff, a campus, and plenty of volunteers, some of the things are definitely doable even in a very small church, if the regulars can be convinced to step out of their comfort zones. I was reminded of the letter to Ephesus in the Revelation (Rev 2:1-7) where Jesus’ main complaint was that the church had forgotten her first love, and Jesus suggested that maybe they should go back to doing some of the things that they were doing when they first started and were excited about the gospel. Although this book is written for churches, it certainly seems like businesses could apply the same principles in their quest for repeat customers.
This book is scheduled to be released on July 31, 2018 I received a copy of this book from the publisher for being part of a launch team program. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinions expressed are my own. 5/5
"No matter how over-the-top your service, if it doesn’t connect with the emotions of the guest, it isn’t hospitality."
"When a value is strong within your organizational culture, it’s no longer about a function, it’s about an identity. It’s about an identity of empathy."
"So often in our ministries, we think we’re designing an experience for a guest, but we’re really designing it for ourselves. We’re designing it for regular attendees like us. Or worse, we are trying to create an experience for everyone, which means we create an experience for no one."
The key to growth as a church, youth ministry, or a business is getting first-time guests to come back. And as any good manager of a hotel, a store, a restaurant, or an attraction knows, the key to getting guests to come back is not actually the rooms or the product or the food itself; it's how guests feel when they're there. It's about hospitality. No matter how much effort and time we spend on excellence--stirring worship time, inspiring sermons, a good coffee blend in the foyer--what our guests really want when they come to our churches is to feel welcome, comfortable, and understood.
When I stepped into the role of hospitality director at my church, in an effort to learn as much as I could about how to welcome guests to the church I googled "Christian hospitality" and this book popped up - it did not disappoint. Full of stories, examples of both positive and negative guest experiences for readers to learn from and very practical advice, I felt like I had new tools in my toolbox to easily implement, I felt renewed energy and inspiration for the ministry of hospitality and I felt equipped to pass on this knowledge to engage and empower our frontline volunteers. For any church leader, this book will help you build a strong foundational culture of hospitality (the WHY) from which to build and execute on the practice of hospitality that is uniquely you (the HOW). This book is a fantastic balance of philosophy and practicality. Would highly recommend!
This year has brought two great resources for understanding how to best reach out and engage with church visitors, the first resource was Becoming a Welcoming Church by Thom Rainer which I reviewed here earlier this year. The second is this title.
This book helps church leaders thing through the things they do to to engage and understand those they are seeking to create a meaningful connection with. It does so by focusing on the role of hospitality in the local church. Oftentimes in the church we view hospitality as what is done for those in the Bible, a concept alien to the New Testament. I think one of the most important chapters in this book and the most applicable to churches of all sizes is chapter 4. In this chapter the authors discuss the importance of as they call it “being fully present.” This chapter addresses the importance of verbal and nonverbal communication in conveying attention, cues that are applicable to any social interaction.
There are aspects of this book that are more applicable to larger churches but the general principles apply to all churches and all believers. It’s easy for church leaders to forget how someone coming to a church for the first time might see and experience things, this book explores the impact that taking those first impressions can have if done well. If you’re trying to figure out why people visit your church once and never return this book will prove to be very helpful.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of the book from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing it. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.
I thought that this book was spot on with what it contained. The writers did a good job in laying out the purpose and describing the best way to bring hospitality back into the church. The examples of how we aren't doing enough as a church were for the most part spot on. The one section that caught my attention was the part where someone needs $5,000 for a new music screen. They are approved. Someone else needs $10,000 for new curriculum. They are approved. Then another needs about $100 from a local deli to serve sandwiches to the homeless. They are encouraged to look for ways to pay for it on their own. OUCH! In a strange way, I think that is how some churches do look at the ministry. And when you see it in that perspective you realize that things are just a bit upside down.
I would definitely recommend giving this book to leaders of the church and those on the hospitality team. Even those who are in the service ministry. This is a great book in opening the church doors and truly bringing in those who are seeking a welcoming church. It's one thing to say you are welcoming another to actually put it into action.
This book was provided to be by Baker Books and was under no obligation to leave a review. All opinions are my own.
I’m going to begin this review in a rather unorthodox manner. With this book it works. Please don’t look at this and think this is an “I know everything so I wrote this book” kind of book. Authors Young and Malm tell us that they don’t know everything. But what they do know is incredible. The Comeback Effect is full of rich information that will help both the church and the business. And it’s full of humor. There were times I was cracking up while reading.
Very common sense, the chapters are short enough to read quickly. But I truly have half of the book highlighted. While an easy ready, I gleaned a lot from it. What really stood out was to stop looking at the guest experience from my point of view, but to look at it from the guest’s point of view. Pretty obvious but seldom done.
If you are involved in the area of hospitality in the church or in business this book is a must read!
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.
A great tool to add to your ministry library for developing and resourcing your hospitality teams.
“Hospitality is about the feeling.”
Young and Malms lead readers to understanding what a guest to your church or business “feels.” Understanding what a guest feels, positions you to prepare for them to “come back.”
My favorite quote from the book is: “You’re ultimately representing the reputation of Jesus Christ to those in your community.”
With that statement as our lens, we probably all need to change how we react and respond to people around us. If we are truly representing the reputation of Jesus Christ, how are we doing? The Come Back Effect helps us learn to create a culture of hospitality in our personal lives as well as in our churches.
This book is a must read for anyone serving in any capacity in churches and businesses.
The Come Back Effect is an excellent resource for large or small churches, businesses, or non-profit ministries.
The premise is to find a way to make first time guests enjoy their experience so much that they want to return.
I do not run a church, however, my wife and I do oversee 5 summer camps and 3 retreats throughout the year. As I read this book throughout the summer, we implemented several ideas that came out of discussions of what I was reading. We saw immediate results and positive feedback. At the end of the summer, we had other camps asking what we were doing that made people's experiences so much better.
The examples may not all apply to you, but the principles of the book will.
I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for a review, whether positive or negative. My experience with reading this book and the material was all positive.
“Understanding those feelings is vital to a successful guest experience. But understanding is not enough. Excellence means replacing those negative feelings.” This is one of the amazing points from the book, The Comeback Effect by Jason Young and Jonathan Malm. This book goes through why it is important for a church and its congregation to take a look at what it is doing to bring and keep new members. It goes into great detail of what people are looking for when walking into a new congregation, what their background and opinions of church could be, and why they have chosen your specific place. It goes into how to help them to become comfortable and find their place. I would recommend this book for any new church or church in transition. It can also be used in business outside of the church. I highly encourage that pastors and business owners go out and get this book.
The Come Back Effect: How Hospitality Can Compel Your Church’s Guests to Return is by Jason Young and Jonathan Malm is a good resource for pastors and church planters. The book provides both big and little ideas for retaining church members.
Young and Malm show churches how they can serve people well, but also mention small ways to comfort people, such as by adding a tray of mints. The book explores many practical elements of retaining members, such as making parking and child pick-up easy for guests and members. I found the book to be an engrossing read, and I like how the authors emphasize knowing your guests and being fully present. In an era when many churches are obsessed with gaining new members, this book importantly reminds churches to show hospitality.
The book was well worth the read. It presented ideas that transcended organizations of any size or type. Whether the concept of hospitality is considered within the context of family or large business/megachurch this book will provide you with principles/ideas relevant to your situation. Hospitality is often taken for granted within our society. This book is refreshing in its’ content and passion for hospitality.
The only downside to the book is that it presents hospitality always within the context of larger organizations/megachurches. So, to benefit from it one needs to look beyond the examples and picture the concepts within one’s own context. I would highly recommend this book as a resource for anyone wanting to learn more about hospitality. This book was given to me by Graf-Martin Communications as a resource with no requirement to write a review.
Very insightful. Though I've seen many of these concepts elsewhere, the authors give a reason for the importance of having a good plan in place for making guests feel welcome and important as a person not just a 'warm body' our a number.
It is important to see that the first fueling welcome starts with the volunteers grilling important and being given the tools necessary to strive for excellence in making the guests feel welcome. Many of the ideas and concepts that the authors share will not cost anything more than time to consider and implement. The ones that do carry a financial cost will vary depending on the ministry situation, but in light of people's eternity are infinitely minuscule.
The Come Back Effect by Jason Young and Jonathan Malm is a book that I will use both when interacting with people at my church but also in growing my business. The keys are easy to put into practice, but they are keys that need to be used in order to be effective. Jason and Jonathan place the keys in an easily laid out manner, making them easy for people to follow, authentically.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review.
Audio 3.5 This is useful in that it’s geared for churches (rather than nonprofits or businesses). However, a good portion of the book is geared toward megachurches with little effort to bridge the concepts to the other 80% (surely the authors didn’t intend their experience to be applicable only in other megachurches). A whole section of the middle is Customer Service 101. The authors did incorporate story, good examples of their concepts. Most of the book focuses on the guest experience but the last chapter or two focuses on the heart of the volunteers serving guests.
This book had an inspiring and helpful writing with also compelling to read with provide leader of the church or business to the ideal, tools that will help their create an environment where guests will feel compelled to come back by focus on feeling as much as function, create a culture, knowing the guest with a great hospitality. I highly recommend to everyone must to read this book.” I received complimentary a copy of this book from Baker Books Bloggers for this review”.
10/10 would recommend. I'm a worship minister, not a guest care person, but I still underlined half the text and found this book highly applicable. Jason Young and Jonathan Malm do an excellent job of showing how our values shape our ministry and how valuing each guest as an individual with needs and feelings and desires will help take away the anxiety they might feel at church and replace it with relief, trust, and joy.
A great quick read about leading volunteers and engaging first-time guest! There were a few moments that I just flat out disagreed with, but the rest of the book was so helpful it didn't lessen the book for me at all. The writing format is a bit weird (they want to be clear who is speaking at each point) but you get used to it. There are dozens of great ideas about how to lead teams and creating a church that people want to come back to.
Really loved this book. Very practical ways to rev up the hospitality at your church to get those visitors to come back. Alot of times the ideas seem too in your face and might cross the line but these are not. It's like a manual to help know and support the guest and love & mentor the volunteer. Love the examples they give from their own experiences too.
I don’t know another book that has charged me up like this one. And it’s not just for churches: If you manage or interact with humans, I’m positive you’ll get something out of it. Jason & Jonathan’s practical discussion of how and why they do things is so enlightening and inspiring I’m sad I have to wait another week until we do Sunday again!
A great read for anyone in the (especially mega) church world. So often we have strong opinions about our church, the service, the coffee, etc., but how often do you put yourself in the shoes of the first time guest. Would you give up the things you *think* are necessary for your own personal church experience to help your guests feel more comfortable? What are those things?
The Come Back Effect: How Hospitality Can Compel Your Church's Guests to Return is an eye-opening read that is full of insight and tips to help encourage guests to return. Through scripture and personal stories Young shares with you ways to be more hospitable and friendly. A very insightful read.
Overall, the book was a little too much needs-focused for me. As a pastor, I look for more of a Scriptural basis than was offered in the book. The concepts discussed are good, but seem to much like marketing instead of focusing on the spiritual aspects of the Church.
This book is a great read to remind you of why it is so important to love people well when they visit your environments, with lots of practical examples of what that looks like. I'm going to ask everyone on our Guest Experience team to read this, as well!
The perspectives these guys use, both as an attendee, a volunteer, and a leader are all really helpful in illustrating how to think about how a church should be operating.
Great book for anyone who serves as a partner or volunteer for their church. Loved the presentation and the way this book was laid out. So many takeaways to apply from this book.