{"id":569,"date":"2011-05-24T23:09:46","date_gmt":"2011-05-24T23:09:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chadstutzman.net\/?p=569"},"modified":"2011-05-24T23:09:46","modified_gmt":"2011-05-24T23:09:46","slug":"first-impressions-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chadstutzman.com\/?p=569","title":{"rendered":"First Impressions Matter"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>First impressions are important and last a long time.\u00a0 Think about some of the people and organizations you have met or experienced for the first time lately.\u00a0 In a very short period of time you are forming an impression of what that person is like or what that business is like.\u00a0 Your favorite restaurant became your favorite because of a good first impression that caused you to want to go back.\u00a0 Over time you developed a greater appreciation for the food and atmosphere and the people that work there.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same way at church.\u00a0 When someone visits NewPointe Community Church<\/a> for the first time, they are forming an opinion or impression of what the church is like.\u00a0 If that impression is more favorable than unfavorable, they are more likely to come back.\u00a0 If they come back, they will begin to form deeper connections with the people and the way in which we do church.\u00a0 As people continue to come back they are exposed to the spiritual truth about Jesus Christ and will begin to grow in that relationship.<\/p>\n

As a church we want to do everything we can to remove the distractions that could cause someone to not want to come back to church.\u00a0 We realize that we are not for everyone, which is OK.\u00a0 Our target is the person that has been away from church for a while or who has not been to church before.\u00a0 Each person that calls NewPointe their home church can play an important role in creating an experience in which people feel loved, welcome and accepted.\u00a0 Here are some practical ways in which we can create that environment:<\/p>\n