The Post-Christmas Follow-Up Playbook For Pastors
Let me hit you with a stat that should change everything about your post-Christmas strategy:
Church-growth consultants like Herb Miller have long observed that if you connect with first-time guests within about 24–36 hours, around 85% of them return. If you wait up to 72 hours, that drops to about 60%. Wait a week, and only about 15% come back. You can find this breakdown in widely cited guest follow-up statistics.
In other words: the difference between a full church in January and empty pews often isn't your preaching or your worship style—it's speed and intentionality.
Here's the bigger problem: in research conducted by Faith Perceptions and published in Outreach Magazine, 1,341 first-time church visitors were surveyed. Of those who provided contact information (504 people), only 119—just 24%—reported receiving any follow-up within 30 days. You can see the full summary in this Faith Perceptions study recap.
Think about that. These people literally asked to be contacted, and 76% never heard from the church.
That's not a systems problem. That's a stewardship problem.
The Russell Brunson Framework for Churches
If you're not familiar with Russell Brunson (author of DotCom Secrets), his marketing frameworks are incredibly powerful for business growth, but some churches fail to realize that we can apply the same strategies to church growth. Here's why they translate so well.
1. The Value Ladder
Most churches try to move Christmas visitors from “first-time guest” to “join a small group, serve, tithe, and become a member” in one conversation. It overwhelms people.
Instead, think in steps:
Level 1: Christmas visitor
Level 2: Second-time visitor
Level 3: Regular attender (3+ visits)
Level 4: Connected in community
Level 5: Serving/giving
Your only goal with a Christmas visitor is getting them to Level 2. That's it.
Guest-retention benchmarks from The Unstuck Group (summarizing church-growth research from Gary McIntosh and Charles Arn) suggest that in a typical growing church:
About 20% of first-time guests become part of the church
Nearly 40% of second-time guests do
Close to 60% of people who attend a third time end up becoming part of the church
You can see that breakdown here: Visitor retention benchmarks.
You can't skip steps. The most strategic move you can make with a Christmas guest is simply helping them come back once more.
2. The Soap Opera Sequence
In Brunson's language, each follow-up message is like an episode of a TV series—it keeps people engaged, delivers value, and creates curiosity for what's next. It's not "come back, come back, come back" on repeat. It's a conversation.
Your follow-up should:
Acknowledge their visit
Offer value (prayer, encouragement, a helpful resource)
Create a gentle bridge to the following Sunday or the next step
3. The Attractive Character
People don't connect deeply with institutions—they connect with people.
That means your texts and emails should come from "Pastor John", not "First Baptist Church Office." This is Brunson's "Attractive Character" idea applied to ministry: an authentic, accessible human voice that people can relate to.
Your Copy-Paste Text Sequence
Here's a simple, proven text sequence you can plug into your system. Choose the tone that best fits your church, but keep the timing non-negotiable.
TEXT #1: The 24-Hour Thank You
Send within 24 hours of your Christmas service
Hey {FIRST_NAME}!
This is Pastor [NAME] from [CHURCH NAME]. Thank you for celebrating Christmas with us yesterday. It genuinely meant a lot having you there.
Quick question: Is there anything we can pray for you or your family as you head into 2025?
Also—this Sunday (Jan 5), we're kicking off a new series called "[SERIES NAME]" and I think you'll really connect with it. Would love to see you there, but no pressure. Just wanted you to know you're welcome anytime.
– Pastor [NAME]
P.S. You can reply to this text anytime if you have questions!
TEXT #2: The Value Drop (Day 3–4)
No ask—give value
Hey {FIRST_NAME}, Pastor [NAME] here!
I was doing my Bible reading this morning and came across something that hit me: [BRIEF INSIGHT OR VERSE].
It made me think about fresh starts and new beginnings, which feels perfect for this time of year.
Just wanted to share that with you. Hope your week is going well!
– Pastor [NAME]
TEXT #3: The Bridge
Send the Saturday before your first "normal" Sunday back
Hi {FIRST_NAME}!
Just wanted to give you a quick heads up about tomorrow:
We're starting "[SERIES NAME]" – [ONE-SENTENCE DESCRIPTION].
Services at [TIMES]. Kids programs for [AGES]. Coffee will be hot. ☕
If you're able to make it, we'd love to see you! If not, no worries—there's always next week.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Pastor [NAME]
TEXT #4: The Re-Engagement (If They Didn't Attend)
Send Tuesday/Wednesday if they missed Sunday
Hey {FIRST_NAME},
Hope you had a great weekend! We missed seeing you Sunday, but totally understand—life gets busy, especially this time of year.
Is there anything we can pray for you this week?
Also, if you'd like me to send you the link to Sunday's message, just let me know. No pressure though!
– Pastor [NAME]
TEXT #5: The Big Day List (Quarterly)
Hey {FIRST_NAME}!
It's been a while since we've connected, but I wanted to reach out because Easter is coming up (Apr 20) and I immediately thought of you.
We're doing something really special this year – [BRIEF DESCRIPTION]. Would love to see you there!
Services at [TIMES].
Hope you and your family are doing well!
– Pastor [NAME]
Only apply this strategy if you are available to respond to the messages. There is nothing worse than getting faked out into thinking there's a real person on the other end, only to realize it was a bot. If you are unable to have your pastor do it, that's fine; it can be an admin or other staff member. It just needs to be a real person who can provide real follow-up. Otherwise, stick with standard generic messaging; something is better than nothing.
Pro Tip: If you can send a personalized video, just a quick selfie video, to the congregant, it makes a huge difference. That extra few seconds saying "hey, Smith family," and "it was so great to meet you this weekend," that personal touch goes a long way. Just think about how good it feels when a friend sends you a personal message out of the blue. We want people to feel the same way about the church.
The "CEO Strategy"
Your "Christmas and Easter only" visitors aren't lost causes—they're event-driven attenders. Don't give up after one failed follow-up.
Instead, create a "Big Day List" and invite them back 3–4 times a year:
Easter
Summer kickoff event
Fall series launch
Next Christmas
Over time, some of these once-a-year people start coming more frequently. It's a long-term discipleship game—and it works.
Implementation Checklist
This Week
Simplify your connect card (First Name, Phone, Email only)
Set up a "Christmas 2024 Visitors" list in your ChMS
Customize these text templates for your church
Set up automation in Clearstream or your texting platform
Christmas Week
Mention connect cards multiple times during the service
Make filling them out easy (QR codes + physical cards)
Offer a small incentive (gift card drawing, free resource, etc.)
Dec 26
Text #1 goes out automatically (or you send it manually)
Respond personally to every reply
Texts #2–3 follow automatically over the next few days
January
Track who attended on the second Sunday
Send Text #4 only to no-shows
Add everyone to your "Big Day List" for Easter
Why This Matters
Every person who walked through your doors on Christmas is there for a reason. Maybe they're seeking. Maybe they're hurting. Maybe they're responding to the Holy Spirit's whisper.
Your follow-up isn't about hitting attendance goals. It's about caring for people.
Some people need multiple visits before they're ready to commit—five, ten, or more over several years. Some will orbit your church for a long time before the timing is right. Your job isn't to force it—it's to stay faithful, stay consistent, and keep the door open.
The research is clear. The framework is proven. The templates are ready.
Now it's your turn to implement.
Remember: in classic guest-follow-up research, acting quickly can keep around 85% of guests coming back—waiting too long can drop that closer to 15%.
Speed wins. Don't wait.
Michael Visser
P.S. If you implement this and see results, I'd love to hear about it. And if you have questions as you're setting it up, don't hesitate to reach out.
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