You learn that your church bookstore customer is a newcomer to the church, but how did they find their way there? Chances are it was through a personal invitation from a relative-but probably not because of a door-to-door visitation program the church may have.

That is the lesson from a LifeWay Research study on behalf of the Southern Baptists' North American Mission Board. Assessing 13 different methods used by churches to communicate with people who might be interested in attending, the survey found an invitation from a family member received the greatest level of openness.

Next most agreeable was a personal conversation with a friend or neighbor from the church, followed by an informative ad in the newspaper, an outdoor sign or billboard, or other advertising. The least effective means of outreach were door-to-door visitation, social networking Web sites and door hangers left by church visitors.

The top five times when people were most open to considering matters of faith were: during the Christmas season (47%), Easter (38%), after a major national crisis like 9/11 (38%), after a natural disaster (34%) and after the birth of a baby (28%).

The study also found notable differences among the five ethnic groupings it surveyed: Hispanics, non-Hispanic whites, African-Americans, Asians and mixed/other ethnicities. Regardless of the communication channel, African-Americans were at least 12% more open to receiving information than any of the other groups.

"The church has been the only institution we African-Americans have had throughout history that we could trust and depend on," commented Tyrone Barnette, pastor of Peace Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga. "The church educated our children, fed our families, listened to our pain, married and buried our loved ones, and provided leadership and insight for our political views.

"Throughout the years, the positive perception of the church has been passed from generation to generation."

Source: LifeWay Research

To read the full report, go to http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D168973%252526M%25253D201340%2C00.html