The Sunday follow-up playbook for first-timers
How to run a consistent first-timer follow-up process that actually works — from Sunday card to fully integrated.
A consistent Sunday follow-up process is the single biggest lever for first-timer retention. This guide walks you through the ChurchManager Follow-Through workflow from the moment a first-timer fills in a connection card to the day they join a cell group.
The three-step follow-up window
Research consistently shows that the first 72 hours after a first visit are critical. ChurchManager’s Follow-Through board is built around this:
- Same day — A friendly text from the pastor or welcome team.
- Day 2–3 — A personal phone call from a cell leader.
- Week 2 — An invitation to a cell group.
Setting up the Follow-Through board
Navigate to People → Follow-Through. Every new person starts in the “First-timer” stage. As you complete follow-up steps, drag them forward through the stages: First-timer → Contacted → Connected → Integrated.
When a person sits in a stage too long without movement, their card automatically flags itself — a red “Follow-up raised” badge appears, prompting action.
Recording follow-up actions
Click on any person card to open their profile. Under Follow-up, log what you did and when. The log feeds the dashboard so leadership can see follow-up health at a glance.