When I recently read 'Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests Into Fully-Engaged Members of Your Church', the author mentioned the value of offering a gift to first-time visitors to their church.
The gift they offer is 'The Case for Faith' by Lee Strobel:
They also offer this book as gift on their church website:
"We would like to give you a free copy of The Purpose Driven Life in exchange for learning a little more about you!!"
I feel a little uneasy with the gift language - I think that a gift is only a gift if you don't have to do anything to get it. I'm less convinced the book is a gift when it's only given in exchange for personal information. However, this did get me thinking - what about offering a book as a gift for people who check-in (e.g. on Facebook Places, FourSquare etc.) to the church? There are lots of 'deals' and 'specials' offered on Facebook Places and FourSquare, for example:
and:
And who doesn't love a good deal?! So, what about offering a book to people who check-in to church? They don't need even need to be at church, they could be nearby, and come and 'claim' the deal. 'The Case for Faith' might not be the right gift - perhaps it's 'The Reason for God', or something else that would be of interest to the people who live/work/eat nearby. It's difficult to know how many people would jump at this deal. However, it's just one more way to connect with people online, and ultimately introduce them to Jesus.
If you're interested:
Question: Could this check-in gift be a good way for churches to connect with people online?
