Do You Really Want Me At Your Church?

So Fran and I have just finished the whole church shopping thing. We discovered a couple of things that I think people should look out for when trying to make their church "visitor friendly."
1. Make sure your classes are properly labeled! If I show up to a class on "How We Got the Bible" I am not too interested in hearing someone talk about Islam and Jihad. If I go to a "Young Marrieds" class, and no one in that class is under 35 or has less than two elementary school children, your nomenclature could use some revising. Though Colossians and 1st Corinthians are written by the same man, they are not the same book. A side note about all of this, it is great when you include a map in some sort of class document so that the visitor can find the class.
2. Make sure you actually have some discussion of the Bible in your classes. In addition, being competent is a plus. I was amazed at the way some classes lacked biblical content, or butchered it. The rate of biblical illiteracy in churches amongst leadership is alarming.
3. If you are going to be raising millions of dollars for new facilities, do it well. Let the congregation know that the decision has more to do with Jesus philosophies than with those of corporate America. Also, be leery of doing any kind of service that has little spiritual value or value for someone new. I am sort of two faced in my approach to some of this, but frankly, if something belongs in a church business meeting, why are we dealing with it in front of a Sunday morning crowd? I do believe Sunday morning is primarily for members, but at the least we must consider what they sound like to those visiting.
4. Be smart with the notes that you send. A "Thanks for Coming" the Thursday after is pretty much expected. A "Still Thinking About You" three weeks later shows thoughtfulness, particularly when the guy who sends such notes remembers your name when he is introduced to you on a second visit. Whatever you do, let them know what church your from. Not kidding, I got a postcard with a non decrypt church on the front and a note saying "Glad to have you, hope to meet you next time." No church address. No mention of church name. No date of visit. Nothing. I have been to about 10 churches in the last two months and they send a completely anonymous note. That is a waste of church budget if you ask me.
5. Finally, realize that externals really do count. We had a couple of places we visited that just stank (how do you conjugate that?) of suburbia and yuppyness. People do notice when your stage furniture looks more expensive than many people's houses. They do notice when the praise team's hair looks more prepared then their hearts for worship. I don't think many people come to church for productions, they come to see God at work. It is hard to do that through a five dollar bulletin that has little to no reference to a living church.