Borg-Church: Perfecting Assimilation

One of my projects at the moment includes cultivating a more newcomer-friendly culture at church, together with helping us put things in place to welcome newbies and follow-them-up with excellence. The literature refers to it as 'assimilation'. Scary, huh?!

Ed Stetzer (borrowing from Win Arn) has a great list of eight characteristics of newcomers who have really made it 'in' to a church:

1. New members should be able to list at least seven new friends they have made in the church.
2. New members should be able to identify their spiritual gifts.
3. New members should be involved in at least one (preferably several) roles/tasks/ministries in the church, appropriate to their spiritual gifts.
4. New members should be actively involved in a small fellowship (face-to-face) group.
5. New members should demonstrate a regular financial commitment to the church.
6. New members should personally understand and identify with church goals.
7. New members should attend worship services regularly.
8. New members should identify unchurched friends and relatives and take specific steps to help them toward responsible church membership.

from Planting Missional Churches, 280-81.