Your church parking lot volunteers are not just part of your first impression team, they're ACTUALLY the first impression when people are coming to your church, but often, these volunteers are the hardest to recruit since many think they're just pointing at empty spots or simply waving and holding handheld signs.

We find that many churches find that this team turns into a social group. Often the teens will all hang out outside the building holding handheld signs and waving to cars pulling in. It's an opportunity for them to work together, hang out, and - let's face it - they are often the ones willing to tough it out in the case of less-than-perfect weather, but you could also create a schedule where small groups get involved. If you have 8 small groups, then each one could serve in that ministry for one Sunday every other month, or if you have multiple services, they could do one service once a month.

Building a church parking lot team is really valuable for first-time guests

When guests are coming to your church, every step of the process is an opportunity for them to give up and walk away. It takes some courage to go somewhere you've never been before, and not entirely sure what to expect. This isn't just for people who have never been to church, but also for people who have gone to church their entire life, and moved to a new city.

Every step either encourages people to stick around or gives them justification to go back home. Having friendly faces greeting people, setting the stage for what to expect from their experience, and giving some simple directions or answering some questions removes the consideration to simply turn around and go back home.

Here are some ideas on how to build a volunteer team for your church parking lot.

1: Cast Vision for First Impressions

Ask people what their first experience was like at your church service - maybe they were brought by a friend, or found you on google, or watched a sermon that someone shared on Facebook. Ask them not just about what they experienced, but how they felt in that moment.

From there, take what they felt, amplify the good, and talk about how a welcoming parking lot team will alleviate the concerns.

Why We Serve: Function vs Purpose

Your volunteer is not just there to help people find empty spots (after all, we've been navigating mall parking lots for years without someone showing us to an empty space).

While pointing people to available spaces, or helping a mom by offering to carry a bag, or answering a question about where to take the kids are functions, the real purpose is to create a welcoming atmosphere - to smile, ask people how they're doing, and greet them like they're coming to visit their home.

2: Create An Atmosphere

The parking lot volunteer will enjoy having music just as much as your guests. It breaks the silence, and choosing high-energy music can make people move a little and sing along.

Like the title sequence of a movie, the music and style help set the stage for what's coming in the same way that flag banners moving in the breeze, and balloons, or a branded popup tent that says "Here for the first time?" create an atmosphere.

3: Focus Your Efforts For Bigger Impact In One Location

If you have multiple entrances to your building, or your portable church is meeting in a school or movie theatre, have signs around your building that point people to a single entrance where you can make the biggest splash.

Instead of 1 or two people at multiple doors, have 10 or 12 people at a single, focussed entrance space, with signs at the other entrances with arrows to point towards the main entrance.

4: Put Church Members On The Road At Your Parking Lot Entrance (Perfect For New Volunteers Also!)

Don't wait until people get up to your doors after parking to engage with them. Put the people with the biggest smiles and the most energy at the entrances to your driveway with handheld signs.

This lets people know exactly where your entrance is when they're pulling up for the first time PLUS allows people who are simply driving by without any intention of visiting your church that morning to see that's a place where people are happy.

This is a great position for training or for someone who may want to learn what this ministry is like, but aren't ready to answer questions or dive in headfirst. Most people aren't going to stop at the entrance of the driveway to ask questions, so this is an opportunity to hold a handheld sign, smile and wave while building community with the rest of the team.

5: Snack TimeFor Volunteers!

Want to be sure your team has great energy and is excited to show up on time? Plan snacks before their shift starts! Sugar, caffeine, whatever! (coffee and cookies are sufficient)

This gives people a reason to show up before their starting time and creates community among the team members, with the same impact as a small group. This is also what we call the huddle and gives you an opportunity as team leader to pray with your team, assign positions for the day, and encourage your team members as they go out to be your church's first impression.

6: Give Your Church Volunteers Easy Ways And Reminders To Invite Friends To Serve

Remind your volunteers that one of their responsibilities is to grow the team - to find other people with great smiles and great energy that might like to volunteer on your team.

People are less likely to sleep in or skip on a week when they have a responsibility or are involved, so you're serving them by asking them to volunteer, and helping to grow your church. Often future church leaders and ministry leaders are found in today's volunteers.

7: Publicly Welcome New Church Volunteers at your Sunday Morning Team Meeting!

Shoutout new team members, welcome them to the team, and make it a tradition or having your team clap for them to welcome them! Even if they're not sure they want to join the team, or they're still in training (and shadowing to see what it's like) showing that your team celebrates their involvement can go a long way for a person who's not sure.

Invite a staff member to join in now and then for a few services just to see what the experience is like and ask that person what could be improved.