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Have you ever walked into a building and were confused because you weren't sure where you were supposed to go next? Have you ever felt instant negative feelings toward a place because of harsh lighting or an unpleasant smell? Have you ever had someone point out something negative about your own home that you didn't notice because you've grown accustomed to it? 

We get used to things in our home and tune them out: pet odors, buzzing lights, the vaguely scratchy feeling of the couch in the basement. The same thing happens at church. When you walk into your church building, you know exactly where you're going. You know how you will be greeted, what your chair will feel like, what the sanctuary smells like, what your coffee or communion will taste like. But what about a first-time guest? 

When it comes to a guest's experience, one thing we say at Fishhook is: "For a newcomer, attending your church for the first time can feel like walking into someone else's family or high school reunion." I have visited churches where I walked in and all I saw was everyone's backs because they were wrapped up in their own conversations, greeting people they knew. Meanwhile as the visitor, I wandered around on my own, looked for signage to steer me and picked up informational materials, all without anyone noticing me or greeting me. Was I wearing a Cloak of Invisibility?

Another recent experience was where a light hanging in the sanctuary flickered nonstop during the entire service because it was going out and needed to be replaced. It was like a strobe light! Very distracting to have out of the corner of my eye for over an hour.

There's also those times where the guest experience is going great - I felt welcomed, I knew where to go, I knew what was happening - but then whatever message is being communicated from the stage (from the pastor, someone giving announcements, maybe a video playing) is clearly directed to members and believers because it uses insider language that a guest or non-believer would not be familiar with. And immediately you feel like an outsider again.

Because church staff and members use their 5 senses at their church all the time, it's easy to become desensitized and forget what a guest is experiencing.

It's important to remember that everything - verbal and nonverbal - communicates. It's always someone's first Sunday. You only get one first impression, so make it a good one!

We created The 5 Senses Guest Test, a checklist to help you cover all your bases when it comes to what a guest will see, hear, taste, smell and touch as they visit your church.

Download the checklist below!