WHERE'D THEY GO? Why God Cares About Follow Up!

WE ALL HAVE SOMEONE who signed up for our group and either only showed up once, or never showed up at all. Which leaves us with the question that EVERY Life Group leader must ask at some point during this session. Why & How (if at all) should I follow up with someone who signed up but didn't show up?

4 REASONS WHY Follow Up Is Vital

1.  GOD CALLED THEM INTO YOUR GROUP! At some point during our promo month God stirred something in them to join your group. Following up opens the door for people to act on the promptings of God.
2. EVERYONE IS BUSY: I sent a personal email out to 60 people who joined groups last Fall but did not join a group this Spring. My goal was simple: figure out what happened (did something happen in the last group that made them not want to join again, did they have a hard time finding a group that they wanted to join, etc). The vast majority of responses (over 95%) said that they were just too busy to join a group this spring. 
• GOOD NEWS: While the person who hasn't showed up is likely busy, they have already committed to being in your group which means they have the that time set aside for group.
3. IF YOU ASK, THEY WILL COME: A number of the people who I emailed responded saying that the email was the impetus that they needed to join a group, so they went online and signed up that day.
4. IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU: When people don't show up for our group, if often plays into our own insecurities, but the truth is, someone not coming almost always has NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU.

3 TIPS FOR MAKING CONNECTION

1. CALL IMMEDIATELY: Make a 20 minute appointment on your calendar for the DAY AFTER every Life Group to make follow up calls. We should be calling every person that missed our group the day after they miss.
2. CARE (People Are God's Passion): The goal of connecting with someone who missed life group (either frequently or infrequently) is not simply to get them back to your group. It is to let them know that they matter to you (and by extension matter to God). He has placed them in your group so that you can care for them. 
• In Matt. 18 Jesus talks about a good shepherd leaving 99 sheep to go after the 1 that wandered away. God wants us to connect with the one missing person (even if we have 14 other committed folks who come every week).
3. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY: Make sure that you know what you want to communicate to the person that you are calling. This is key to helping them feel like you are Checking IN with them and not checking UP on them. Here's a potential outline:

Hi __________

"I missed you at Life Group last night and wanted to make sure that everything was ok."

• Wait for their reply. If something happened offer to pray for them on the phone, and let them know that you'll be praying for them this week.

"I'd love to have you join us at group next week, do you think you'll be able to make it."

• Note: asking the question and waiting for a response is key to helping people make commitments.

"Fantastic, I'll shoot you the info from this week so that you're ready to go. I'm looking forward to seeing you on Sunday and at our next gathering."