Episode 303: Church Assimilation Now with Greg Curtis & Tommy Carreras

<p>What does it actually take to help families move from attending to fully engaged?</p><p>In this episode, Nick sits down with Greg Curtis and Tommy Carreras to talk about the real challenges churches are facing right now when it comes to assimilation and next steps.</p><p>They unpack what’s changed over the last few years, why many church assimilation strategies are no longer working, and what they’re experimenting with right now to better connect people into community and serving.</p><p>You’ll hear:</p><ul><li>Why most churches are running outdated inherited programs</li><li>The shift from information to connection and why that matters more than ever</li><li>The pros and cons of 7 week, 4 week, and 1 week next step models</li><li>Why volunteering is often the best first step for engagement</li><li>A brand new approach Greg is testing that could reshape assimilation strategies</li></ul><p>If you want to help people take real next steps toward Jesus, not just attend, this conversation will challenge how you think about assimilation.</p><p></p><p>00:00 Intro and Guest Welcome<br />01:00 Greg and Tommy Backgrounds<br />03:00 The Evolution of Assimilation at Eastside<br />06:00 From 7 Weeks to 4 Weeks to 1 Week<br />09:30 Why Most Church Assimilation Strategies Fail<br />12:00 The Power of Connection over Information<br />14:30 Why Volunteering Is the Best First Step<br />18:30 Rethinking Discipleship and Small Groups<br />22:00 What Most Churches Are Doing Wrong Right Now<br />24:30 The “Window” for Getting People Engaged<br />27:00 How Long It Actually Takes to Get Connected<br />29:30 Why Timing and Targeting Matter<br />32:00 Stop Overloading People with Information<br />35:00 Just-in-Time vs Just-in-Case Communication<br />37:30 The One Week Model Explained<br />41:00 New Trends Post-COVID in Church Engagement<br />43:30 A Bold New Assimilation Strategy<br />46:00 Interest Meetings Instead of Classes<br />48:30 Creating “Hot Leads” Instead of Cold Leads<br />50:00 The Role of Follow-Up and “Knownness”<br />52:00 Practical Ideas Churches Can Try Right Now<br />54:00 Climbing the Assimileas and Sherpa Tribe<br />56:00 Final Thoughts and Takeaways</p><hr /><p></p>