Acts 2:46–47
"Every day they continued to meet together…and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
THE BIG IDEA
Most churches lose more than half of their first-time guests in the first week — not because the visit was bad, but because nothing happened after it. The first 72 hours are sacred. Three contacts in three days, in three different forms, will out-perform any preaching you do for the next month.
The 72-Hour Contact Sequence
Every Connect Card collected on Pull Up Sunday triggers a three-touch sequence within 72 hours, owned by the Follow-Up Lead. Three different people. Three different channels. Three different purposes.
| When | Channel | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday afternoon (within 6 hours) | Personal text from the member who invited them | Inviting member |
| Monday (within 24 hours) | Phone call from the pastor or designated leader | Pastor / Follow-Up Lead |
| Tuesday or Wednesday (within 72 hours) | Handwritten card mailed (or hand-delivered) | Follow-Up Lead |
The Three Scripts
Sunday Afternoon Text (from the inviter):
TEXT SCRIPT
"Hey [name] — it MEANT so much to me that you pulled up today. Thank you for trusting me with your Sunday morning. I'm praying for you tonight. Anything specific I can pray about? Sleep good. Talk soon. — [Your name]"
Why this works: warm, gratitude-led, invites a response, no pressure to come back, opens the door for an ongoing prayer thread.
Monday Phone Call (from the pastor or trained leader):
CALL SCRIPT
"Hi [name], this is Pastor [name] from [church]. I just wanted to take 60 seconds and personally thank you for being with us yesterday. I won't keep you. Three things: (1) thank you, (2) is there anything we can be specifically praying about for you this week? (3) I'd love to grab coffee or breakfast with you sometime in the next two weeks if you're open — my treat. Either way, no pressure. Have a great day."
Why this works: respects their time, asks one specific question, makes one specific ask, gives an out.
Tuesday/Wednesday Handwritten Card (from the follow-up lead):
CARD SCRIPT
"[Name], we are so glad you joined us at Pull Up Sunday. There's something about you having walked through our doors that we won't forget. Whether or not you ever come back, please know — you are loved by God and by us. Praying for you. Always welcome." Signed: [Pastor + 1–2 leaders].
Why this works: tactile, personal, no agenda, lands in the mailbox between bills, lasts on the fridge for months.
The Follow-Up Database
Every contact, every response, every promise is logged. Use whatever you have — a Google Sheet, an Airtable, the church management software you already pay for. The fields are simple:
- First name + last name + best contact info
- Date of first visit
- Inviting member
- Notes from Connect Card (any prayer request, any need)
- Touch 1 / 2 / 3 completed (date, owner, response)
- Next assigned touch (Chapter 22 pathway)
- Status: Hot / Warm / Cold / Connected to small group / Decision made
Hot, Warm, Cold — and what to do with each
After the 72-hour sequence, every guest is categorized. The category determines the rest of the 30-60-90 day pathway.
| Status | What it means | Next move |
|---|---|---|
| HOT | They responded warmly to all three touches. They want more. They asked questions. They want to come back. | Personal pastoral coffee in week 2. Small group invitation in week 3. See Chapter 22. |
| WARM | They responded politely to one or two touches but did not engage deeply. Curious but cautious. | Member-to-member relationship continues. One social or cookout invitation per month. No church-language pressure. |
| COLD | No response to any of the three touches. | One more soft touch at the 30-day mark. Then drop to passive prayer list. They are God's, not yours. |
DO THE WORK — BUILD THE SEQUENCE BEFORE YOU NEED IT
Before Pull Up Sunday, the Follow-Up Lead must have:
□ Card stock + handwritten cards + stamps in hand.
□ Pastor's call script printed and rehearsed.
□ Database template built and tested with a fake entry.
□ 72-hour timeline printed and visible at the desk where the work will happen.
MEASURE IT — CHAPTER 21
Within 72 hours of Pull Up Sunday:
□ Touch 1 completion rate: _____ / _____ guests (target: 100%)
□ Touch 2 completion rate: _____ / _____ guests (target: 100%)
□ Touch 3 completion rate: _____ / _____ guests (target: 95%+)
□ Hot / Warm / Cold categorization complete for every guest.