The “Visit the Visitors” program is managed by a group of volunteers who stop by the homes of new visitors to the church to say hello and deliver a small loaf of bread, as soon as possible after they visit. The program started small, with Marianna Sherman visiting people identified by our former pastor Charles Barton as new faces. Later a more formal committee was formed, as a study had found that if people were visited between 24 to 48 hours after their attendance, the percentage of them eventually becoming a member of the church was about 95%.

The program has twelve teams, one for each of the months, and they visit the newcomers with a small loaf of banana nut bread and some material about our church. They go unannounced after church — leaving the car motor running — they do not really “visit” but have just a short, friendly talk, thanking them for their visit and giving any information about the church that is needed. If no one is home, they leave the bread with a phone number. Marianna Sherman writes that she makes the loaves of banana nut bread ahead of time and keeps them in the freezer in the kitchen. Some new members have said that this gesture was a big consideration in their membership decision. Many of the team members have been with Marianna since the beginning of the program. They are a committee with no meetings and they keep connected via e-mail or phone. If you’re interested in learning more, just contact Marianna. And if you notice someone new to the church, let either Chip, Tami, or Marianna know!