Does your whole church have a philosophy and commitment to investing in and discipling new people, or is it only those in follow-up ministry? If only a handful of people are committed to people, it could be one of the reasons why many people slip through the cracks. The "Not My Ministry" Mindset ... I was at a church recently where one of the leaders gathered a group of men together and was appealing for more men to be involved in making the services safe and secure for every

When does your church begin to invest in new people? If you wait for them to pray a sinner’s prayer before investing in them, that could be a reason why some people are not retained. An opportunity was missed because they waited too long ... I recently attended a very good gospel concert in one of our churches. The concert was going well and there were a number of visitors. However, I was dismayed to see the concert dragging on and on without an altar call and the gospel bein

We know that first impressions are crucial, but do we realise that the first impression that a convert or visitor has of your church can determine how they view the church for a very long time, and whether they even come back at all? First impressions can be so wrong ... The problem is that sometimes people don't take the time to look beyond a negative first impression to find out if there is more to the person than first meets the eye. People often do the same with churches.

One of the most discouraging things in life is when your efforts and labours are not recognised or rewarded. Follow-up can be like that, it can often feel like a thankless task. The hidden ministry ... I was not in follow-up for very long before I realised one of the major frustrations of the ministry. Follow-up is what I call a "Hidden Ministry". What I mean by this is that the follow-up minister's work often goes unseen by the congregation. Most ministries in church are vis

We often make follow-up and serving God harder than it needs to be. There are times when the problem is not the task, but our approach to the task. We can make things feel like burdens when they are really blessings. After the initial excitement of joining Follow-up Ministry I soon began to feel the “burden” of follow-up. It soon began to feel like a millstone around my neck. I had not lost my love or enthusiasm for people, but the way I went about follow-up made it burdensom

Not long after joining Follow-up Ministry Pastor Peter approached me and asked if I would consider leading the ministry. Bristol church was experiencing revival and many people were being saved and added to the church. I enthusiastically agreed to lead follow-up. Sometimes we agree to things without fully understanding what will be involved, but that's another story. The dangerous shift ... I was given a folder containing convert cards, salvation prayers and welcome letters

When I think back to the early days of my salvation I remember three main things that my Pastor, Peter Ajala, used to emphasise constantly. Firstly was the will of God, secondly was serving the body of Christ, and thirdly was the importance of people. It was this focus on the value of people that first led me into follow-up ministry, although I did not know it had a name at the time. Pastor used to preach about contending for people in prayer, reaching people through evangeli