Don’t give up on the home visit just yet! Many church leaders today think visiting prospects and inactive members simply does not work anymore. This may be true in some situations like gated communities and some apartment complexes. Perhaps front porch visitors these days are not always invited in for coffee and cake, but some meaningful conversations can still take place.

For one thing, knocking on someone’s front porch door is a way of showing the person/family that you care enough to go to the trouble of driving to their home and checking on them. It’s more personal than a phone call, text, email, card or letter. Eye contact is a good thing.

Maybe the goal of a front porch visit should be to simply show you care – your Sunday School class, Small Group, or church – is interested in you and your family. It’s always a good idea to leave a Bible study or devotional book or magazine, with their name typed on a mailing label stuck on the cover.

My church recently sent me and two others to go door-to-door, telling people we were praying for their neighborhood and how we could pray for them. It went like this: first house, serious illness for grandchild; second, lady going through a divorce; third, lady taking care of her husband with dementia; fourth, single mom dealing with rebellious daughter; and last, a lady taking care of her sister recovering from surgery.

There are many needs and hurts behind those front door porches. Most will never be addressed without the front porch home visit.

Jeff Ingram is the Adult Ministry Strategist for Louisiana Baptists.