Welcome Email Series for Church Visitors: A 7-Day Plan to Turn Guests into Returners

The week after someone visits is your window.

They're curious. They're thinking about you. They haven't yet forgotten the names they learned or the feeling they had when they walked in.

If you connect with them in that window, you stay on their radar. If you don't, life takes over. Soccer practice, work deadlines, weekend plans—your church becomes a nice memory that fades.

A welcome email series keeps the connection alive until they're ready to return.

The 5-Email Sequence

Your welcome series should run about 7-10 days. Five emails spaced out across that time.

This isn't spam. It's hospitality at scale.

Email 1: Same Day or Next Morning

Purpose: Thank them for coming. Make it personal.

Timing: Within 24 hours of their visit.

Content:

• Genuine thank you
• Pastor's or staff member's name (makes it feel personal)
• Invitation to reply if they have questions
• Nothing else. No asks. No links to twelve programs.

Subject line:

• "Thanks for visiting [Church]"
• "So glad you joined us Sunday"

Sample:

Hi [Name],


Thanks for joining us at First Community on Sunday. We know visiting a new church can feel like a lot, and we're glad you gave us a chance.


If you have any questions about what we believe, what to expect, or how to get connected—just reply to this email. I'd love to help.


Hope to see you again soon.


Pastor Mike

Short. Warm. Real.

Email 2: Day 3

Purpose: Provide value. Give them something useful.

Timing: About 3 days after the visit.

Content:

• Link to the sermon they heard (audio or video)
• Or: A "What to Expect" guide for future visits
• Position as helpful, not promotional

Subject line:

• "In case you missed anything Sunday"
• "Here's this week's message"

Sample:

Hi [Name],


Just wanted to make sure you had a chance to hear (or re-hear) Sunday's message.


[Link: "Building on the Rock" – Matthew 7:24-27]


If you'd like to know more about what a typical Sunday looks like at First Community, here's a quick guide: [link to "What to Expect" page]


See you soon?


Sarah
Guest Services

Still low-pressure. Just helpful.

Email 3: Day 5

Purpose: Introduce one next step.

Timing: About 5 days after the visit.

Content:

• One low-commitment opportunity
• Connection lunch, coffee with pastor, newcomers class—just ONE
• Not a list of fifteen programs

Subject line:

• "One way to connect"
• "If you're looking for a next step"

Sample:

Hi [Name],


If you're looking for a way to meet a few people at First Community, here's something we recommend for newcomers:


Newcomers Lunch
Next Sunday after the 11am service. Free lunch. Casual conversation. A chance to ask questions and learn about the church.


No pressure—just wanted to mention it in case you're interested.


[RSVP Here]


Sarah

One thing. One CTA. Easy to say yes or no.

Email 4: Day 7

Purpose: Re-invite to Sunday.

Timing: The Saturday before or Sunday morning of their one-week anniversary.

Content:

• What's happening this week (sermon topic, special elements)
• Service times and location reminder
• Simple invitation back

Subject line:

• "Hope to see you tomorrow"
• "This Sunday at First Community"

Sample:

Hi [Name],


Just a quick note—hope to see you at First Community this weekend!


This Sunday:
9am & 11am services
Continuing our "Unshakeable" series


Childcare available for all ages. Doors open 15 minutes early.


Hope you can make it!


Pastor Mike

Friendly. Not pushy. No guilt.

Email 5: Day 10-14 (Optional)

Purpose: Final touchpoint before they join the regular list.

Timing: About two weeks after the visit.

Content:

• A brief "still thinking about it?" message
• Share a story or testimonial about someone who connected
• Transition them to your regular newsletter

Subject line:

• "One more thing..."
• "Before we go quiet"

Sample:

Hi [Name],


Just checking in one more time.


If First Community felt like a fit, we'd love to see you again. If you're still exploring, no pressure—you're always welcome.


From here, you'll get our regular weekly newsletter with updates on what's happening. But if you have questions anytime, I'm just an email away.


Hope our paths cross again.


Pastor Mike

This email transitions them out of the welcome sequence and into normal communication.

Setting Up Automation

This sequence should run automatically. You don't want to manually send five emails every week.

The trigger:

When someone submits a visitor card, connection form, or first-time guest form—the sequence starts.

In your email tool:

• Mailchimp, Drip, Constant Contact, and most church management systems support automated sequences.
• Set delays between emails (Day 1, Day 3, Day 5, etc.)
• Set exit conditions: if they register for something, remove them from the sequence (they're engaged)

The key step:

Make sure replies go to a real person. When someone responds to email 1 with a question, a human should answer.

Automation handles the sending. Humans handle the relationship.

What Makes This Sequence Work

Timing:

Spread out over 7-10 days, not crammed into 48 hours. Give people space.

Tone:

Friendly, personal, low-pressure. Every email should feel like a person wrote it—even if it's automated.

Progression:

• Email 1: Thank you
• Email 2: Value (sermon/resource)
• Email 3: Soft invitation
• Email 4: Re-invite
• Email 5: Transition

You're building toward something without being pushy.

Personalization:

Use their name. Reference the visit. If your system captures what service they attended, mention it.

"Thanks for joining us at the 11am service" feels more personal than "Thanks for visiting."

Common Mistakes

Five emails in three days = annoyance. Space them out.

"Join a group, volunteer, give, attend this event, download this app..." Slow down. One thing at a time.

"Dear Valued Guest, First Baptist Church is honored to welcome you..." sounds like a form letter because it is. Write like a human.

If someone replies to an automated email and gets no response, you've broken trust. Monitor replies.

One thank-you email isn't a sequence. It's a single touch. The sequence builds relationship over time.

What Happens After

After the welcome sequence, they graduate to your regular newsletter list.

They now receive:

• Weekly newsletter (with everyone else)
• Event promotions
• Regular church communication

The welcome sequence got their attention. The ongoing communication keeps them connected.

The Payoff

A good welcome sequence:

• Makes visitors feel remembered
• Keeps your church on their radar
• Provides clear next steps
• Increases second-visit rates
• Requires no weekly effort (once it's set up)

Set it up once. Let it run. Let it welcome people even when you're not thinking about it.