An Audio Tape Can Help Answer Visitors' Questions

When first-time visitors come to your church or fellowship you do the normal things—greet them promptly, make brief conversation, direct them to the Sunday service or religious education and hand them pamphlets to take home.

Now there's something else to give them—an audio cassette tape to listen to on the way home. The idea comes from a UU in Stamford, CT, and a Presbyterian minister in New Mexico. The rationale behind the tape is that visitors need more information than is possible to give in the brief minutes when they are greeted.

Enter the basic audio cassette tape. Julian Padowicz, a member of the UU Society in Stamford (94 members), developed an audiotape for his congregation several years ago to educate visitors. "The tape describes Unitarian Universalism," he said, "as though you were speaking to someone who didn't know anything about it. Several people have told us they joined our congregation because of the tape."

Called "With Us," the 20-minute tape is available through the UUA Bookstore or may be ordered from Padowicz.

The Sandia Presbyterian Church, Albuquerque, NM, with more than 400 members, also uses an audio tape. The Rev. Dewey Johnson, writing in the nondenominational newsletter, Net Results, published by Herb Miller, reports that the tape grew out of comments by new members who, months after they joined, were discovering programs they wished they'd known about earlier. Someone suggested an audio tape as another means of getting information across.

The first step was a church survey that asked members three questions: "What was it about your first visit to this church that made you want to come back?" (Answers: friendliness, sermon and general atmosphere). "What is it that you have come to value since you first started attending services here?" (atmosphere, sermons, friendliness). "What did you learn after six months that you wish you'd known in the first month?" (activities, education programs, caring ministry program).

The audiotape was organized around those answers and also includes bits of congregational history, the mission statement and humor. Johnson recommends about 12 minutes of information—about the length of an average ride home from church, and emphasizes that the tape should be of high sound quality, which means recruiting members who have experience in radio, marketing, advertising or music production.

In addition to visitors, members use the tapes to tell friends about the church and they are also available in a rack with a "Take One" sign when outside groups use the church.

In an age when church shoppers find themselves on the way home with a handful of pamphlets and some questions that they didn't know enough to ask, an audio tape may be an innovative way to bring them back for a second look.

Resources <>Net Results, a nondenominational monthly magazine focused on practical ideas for church leaders, is available for $29.95 annually. Call 800-672-1789. A copy of the tape mentioned in the newsletter is $2.50 from Sandia Presbyterian Church, Audiotape, 10704 Paseo del Norte NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122.

The other tape, "With Us," is available from the UUA Bookstore, #5600, $8.98 plus $3 handling. 800-215-9076, or it may be ordered for the same price plus $3.50 handling from Julian Padowicz, 1397 Hope St., Stamford, CT 06907 (203-968-2255). He grants permission for congregations to make as many copies as necessary of the copyrighted tape, if they first buy a $2 label for each copy from him.