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    Church Hunting: How to Reach, Not Repel, Visitors

    On Mother’s Day last year, the church that my family called “home” for more than a decade closed its doors. Some core families had moved, our pastor had taken another position, and attempts at mergers and hiring a new pastor failed. I say this to emphasize that we departed loving each other. My family dreaded the hunt for a worship community, but eventually we did find a new place of fellowship. Yet in our six-month search we observed how churches treat visitors, and we came away with some suggestions: Make your church Web site visitor-friendly. Your Web site is your number one image piece for visitors. Most people will check out your…