And the survey says…
A couple of Sundays ago we hired three non-believers to attend Buckhead Church and give us their feedback. One of the reasons we did this is because we believe it is important to relentlessly search for ways to improve. There are many other ways to do this, but we were intrigued with this opportunity through the group, Church Rater.
This link will allow you to read all of the feedback we received: ChurchRater. If you have any suggestions or thoughts about how we can improve after reading this, please feel free to comment here.
Thanks!
Jeff
do stuff
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surveyposted
mar 19, 2010by Buckhead Church
March 19, 2010 at 9:41 am
Thanks for sharing. I’ve been dying to hear the feedback, and I tried to really think about it. One thing that hit me were a few impressions about not being greeted or not being friendly or people seeming like they wanted to be there.
For me…I plan on trying to reach out and smile more to everyone I see at church. You never know who is coming for the first time, or just hasn’t had it click when joining us yet. These first impressions can go a long way to making someone feel at home with us and, more importantly, God.
I want everyone who comes to Buckhead to love it as much as I do. But…the feedback was on the whole really positive, so let’s keep up the good work. Jeff, thanks to you and the staff!!!
March 19, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Thanks for sharing this. As someone who is on staff at another church, I think it’s helpful for any church to read their thoughts.
One of the most interesting responses was the 2nd person’s (32 female) response to writing down the feelings she had while participating.
I’m assuming she wrote her feelings as the service went on, and it appears she opened up more in the process. What a win!
March 19, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Thanks so much for sharing! I loved reading their comments.
March 19, 2010 at 5:44 pm
I too felt a little disconnected when I came to Buckhead. But I wanted to know more so I got involved at a deeper level. I still rarely see someone I know, but I benefit from the worship and the messages. Its hard to know if someone wants to be notice or if they want to slip in and slip out. Its the Holy Spirit who prompts us to keep seeking.
March 21, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Very interesting that Andy was preaching a sermon about surrendering to God (instead of running from Him!) and the three critiquing didn’t feel condemned, but rather, thoughtful! God has given Andy (and other staff at Buckhead) the gift of sharing deep Truths of God in a way that is insightful but not judgemental. And yet the Truth is never watered down. One of the reasons we love being a part of Buckhead!
I do see, however, why they may have felt a little lack of “community.” I myself find it hard to connect to people on a Sunday morning. Would it be possible to distinguish areas where folks could actually meet some of the staff/elders/pastors and talk with them on Sunday? I know with a church this size, that this may be absolutely exhausting to a staff person or elder, but it WOULD give people the opportunity of meeting those that have a VERY clear vision of what this church values and where it’s “going.” I know I myself would love to meet the elders’ wives in particular, so that I could build relationships with older, Godly women who may even be able to come alongside and encourage/disciple me. That’s what makes a place feel like more than just a production, but a community. The small groups are GREAT, but from what I’ve heard from the staff, they are not necessarily lead by older believers. The leaders may even be my age or younger. (Not that I can’t learn from someone my age, but how much more could I learn from someone who’s several years further down this path of life and Faith!)
But again, I definitely feel that Buckhead is most certainly headed in the right direction-teaching the truth, loving their “neighbors” both locally and internationally, providing inclusive environments for ANYONE, and passionate about equipping the body to do the will of the Father.
March 22, 2010 at 11:39 am
Initially I was concerned that your reviewers were hired to evaluate the church. After reading their comments, I am inclined to believe that they were honest in their evaluations. My second concern is that they all attended the same service. I think a better picture of the church would have been given if the visits were spread out over several weeks.
March 22, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Pete – thanks for the comment. Our Guest Services teams are reviewing this as well. I think there is a fine line between greeting people warmly and being “too friendly.” It’s definitely something we are continuing to discuss. I think your point about taking responsibility yourself and greeting others is a PERFECT approach.
Thanks for doing that, Pete.
Jeff
March 22, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Mary — good feedback. One of the ways I have found to make a big church small is to serve. This goes a long way toward building the community feel. Also, I am usually down front or at the Info Table after every service. Please feel free to come find me.
Thanks,
Jeff
March 22, 2010 at 8:19 pm
Allen – we are hoping to do this on a regular basis which will give us a more comprehensive understanding of how we’re doing.
Thanks,
Jeff
March 23, 2010 at 7:03 am
Get Connected! When I first attended Buckhead Church (back in the grocery store days) I must admit that the size was a little overwhelming. But the way to make the church smaller and more personal is to get involved. First I joined a small group and have a wonderful group of 6 – 8 ladies in my stage of life to meet, study and connect with every week. Then I became a Waumba Land volunteer. What a wonderful community of volunteers. We all have the same passion in working with the youngest at Buckhead Church and teaching them that Jesus loves them. Having this shared passion really creates a sense of team, a sense of belonging. So find a place to serve and connect with like minded folks.
March 23, 2010 at 8:43 am
We’d LOVE to work with the highschoolers, but I wasn’t sure how that would work since we have two little boys (2 and 5 months). Is there childcare (which I CERTAINLY don’t expect since there’s already SO much being done and provided!)? If not, what are other areas we could serve (preferably working with middle school orp) and also be able to attend one of the services ourselves?
March 23, 2010 at 10:42 am
Enjoyed reading the review of BC. I recently made the migration to BC after 9 years at NP campus. I am enjoying it immensely. A much more youthful vibe here. Looking forward to getting plugged in futher. I must say that the accessibility of the campus pastors vs. Andy is a welcome change. (see Jeff Henderson comment 3/22 8:18 p.m.). I remember the days when Andy used to hang around and talk to people after the service at the front of the stage. While a little time consuming, it can help people connect with the pastor of a big church even if for a brief moment. Jeff, I hope you keep that up as long as you can.
March 25, 2010 at 10:00 am
On behalf of ChurchRater I want to say thank you to Jeff and his staff for partnering with us. As you can see it takes courage to invite critique.
Since followers of Jesus have committed to the Great Commission it makes sense that we would want to know “how we’re doing” in our attempts to connect with the people Jesus misses most.
Sunday services are only one way to asess a church but this is typically the front door to the larger community experience for Christians and Non Christians.
Again, thanks for the opportunity and for your open heartedness to the process.
March 27, 2010 at 4:43 pm
I, for the most part, agree with the reviews these individuals posted.
Personally, I think the most important aspect NPM needs to focus on those who are “Lost” (metaphorically and literally).
I think a good idea would be a table/area specifically dedicated to “First Time Guests” (as opposed to an “Information” desk.
This “First Time Guest” table would be a place where people could gather, sit, ask questions, etc. The agenda would be geared towards a high level explanation of what Buckhead/North Point/BB has to “offer”.
I think it has to be separate/distinct area (away from “information Desk” or a CD/Bookstore mentality.
I remember what it was like to come to North Point and Buckhead for MONTHS and feel like no one would know (or even care) if I were to come back again.
March 29, 2010 at 6:03 am
[...] of the discussions we’ve had internally, I was fascinated with the bold step that Buckhead Church took recently. They asked three people who are not regular church attenders to attend a service at [...]