You PAY People to Go to Church?!?

Melanie Smollen, Project Manager

Yes we do. Now, before you get all upset and think that we’re trying to commercialize church or buy new believers, let me explain: We are a market research firm that helps churches see themselves from their visitors’ points of view. Those data are hard to come by and it is our experience that people are more honest and unbiased when an impartial third party asks for their opinion, and they’re more timely when they're being paid for them. Here’s how Faith Perceptions got its start:

I started working for a business consulting firm in 2008. The firm had clients who were concerned about why their number of customers was decreasing. They hired us to help them better understand their customers’ experience. Programs like that are commonly known as “mystery shopping” or “secret shopping” and it got me to thinking – churches of all denominations throughout the United States are charged with reaching new people…could they benefit from understanding the first time guest experience as well? I remember hearing a pastor say, "I know why someone visits our church and stays because I get to ask them. What I don't know is why someone comes and they never come back. We need to know that." The truth is, buying an expensive digital sign out front to attract people is a waste of money if, once inside, no one connects with them.

So we sought the advice from some trusted church leaders and church revitalization experts. We learned that having unbiased feedback from first-time visitors could be a game-changer for them. We took our knowledge of market research in the business environment and adapted it to the church world. That was almost five years and 1,200 worship services ago. Today, church leaders rely on us to provide them with the information about what the “unchurched” think about their experience on Sunday morning. We’re not in the church member recruiting business and we don’t have any hidden agenda. Our mission is to help church leaders gather reliable information they can’t get on their own, and then use that information to create a better experience for someone new to their church. It’s true that some hearts have been changed while they’re on assignment for us…but that’s God’s work, not ours. When our mystery guests attend a church, they’re hired to give us information that churches need to grow. Again, the answer to the original question is yes: So that we can gather accurate and timely information about the first-time church visitor’s experience, we pay people to go to church.

Our intention in creating this blog is to highlight and discuss actual experiences that our mystery guests are having every weekend so that you can benefit from their insights. Since we have clients of all sizes and denominations in various parts of the United States, we hope you’ll find something relevant to your life or ministry.

For more information:  Contact Faith Perceptions at 573.335.1782 or info@faithperceptions.com