The Come Back Effect

The Come Back Effect: How Hospitality Can Compel Your Church’s Guests to Return
by Jason Young and Jonathan Malm

The key to growth as a church, youth ministry, or a business is getting first-time guests to come back. And as any good manager of a hotel, a store, a restaurant, or an attraction knows, the key to getting guests to come back is not actually the rooms or the product or the food itself; it’s how guests feel when they’re there. It’s about hospitality. No matter how much effort and time we spend on excellence–stirring worship time, inspiring sermons, a good coffee blend in the foyer–what our guests really want when they come to our churches is to feel welcome, comfortable, and understood.

Written by a church consultant and a hospitality expert, The Come Back Effect shows church, ministry, and even business leaders the secret to helping a first-time guest return again and again. Through an engaging, story-driven approach, they explain how service and hospitality are two different things, show how Jesus practiced hospitality, and invite leaders to develop and implement changes that lead to repeat visits and, eventually, to sustained growth.

JASON YOUNG

Jason Young is a hospitality, leadership, and emotional intelligence coach and communicator. He has worked with leaders in numerous churches and companies including Ford Motor Company, Life.Church, and Chick-fil-A.

He is also the Director of Guest Experience at Buckhead Church and North Point Ministries, a nationally known network of churches, led by Andy Stanley, with 36,000 people in average weekly attendance.

JONATHAN MALM

Jonathan Malm is an author and creative entrepreneur.

He grew up in the mountains of Guatemala as a missionary kid, and then moved to Texas where he finished his high school and his Bachelors degree in Marketing. After college, he began working at a church as a creative director where he had his hand in everything from leading worship to running the technological side of things.

During that time, Jonathan developed a passion for the creative process and for helping churches effectively and creatively communicate. He launched multiple websites and blogs, along with the help of many creative voices within the Church, that explore every facet of church creativity. Those websites grew and he eventually made the transition to self-employment so he could focus on managing those projects. He reaches over 70,000 people each month with his projects.

Jonathan’s had the privilege of speaking at many conferences and even directing a conference for creative church communicators. He’s passionate about helping people think differently about their jobs and about creativity.

He lives with his wife in San Antonio, Texas where he writes and roasts his own coffee beans.