Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests into Fully-Engaged Members of Your Church by Nelson Searcy (with Jennifer Dykes Henson) discusses ways to help make church newcomers into members of your congregation. The book introduces a wide variety of ideas to assist in assimilating new people into the church.

My favorite chapter was “Creating Fans Through Follow-Up,” which provided constructive ideas to follow-up with church visitors. I also thought the idea of a membership class was interesting; I have seen and heard about membership classes at different churches, but never thought much about their importance. Additionally, I liked how Searcy explained the “three Rs” of church retention: return, relationships, and responsibility. Fusion would be a handy guide for church leaders.