Experts tell us the average first-time church guest decides whether to return or not within the first 11 minutes of arriving. For every church, creating a good first impression is critical to guest retention, and your audio system plays an important part in that. Audio isn’t everything, of course, but these days it’s a critical component, helping to create a sense of welcome, put new church visitors at ease, and set the stage for the entire experience. From the parking lot all the way through the worship experience, the decisions you make about audio technology can have big impact on how deeply guests engage with the mission and vision of your church, and whether they return or not.

Whether you’re moving your church plant into a permanent space, remodeling a current space, or expanding your building, Bose has recommendations on how to best improve your installed church sound. Below, we answer your questions about how the right installed loudspeakers can help you improve guest retention.

The lobby and entrance point are your first opportunities to connect with new and returning guests. Nobody likes a silent lobby. Your sound system should provide background audio that is intelligible, but not overpowering, to help promote communication, connection, and engagement. And you should definitely consider extending this experience outside the front entrance as well. Weather-rated outdoor loudspeakers give you the opportunity to extend a sense of welcome to church visitors before they even step through the doors.

Of course, all of the above spaces may be very crowded one minute and have few people in them the next. With the Bose AVM-1 sense microphone and features like Bose AutoVolume compensation (available on select Bose processors) loudspeaker volume in your church entrance areas can adapt automatically and continuously based on the ambient noise in the space. Set it and forget it. No need to worry about the audio being too soft when there’s a lot of people in the room, then too loud and overpowering with a few people milling about. AutoVolume adjusts the volume automatically.

Here are three recommendations to deliver the best church audio solutions for church lobbies or entranceways.

Parents and pastors alike know that the most important aspects of a children’s worship space are that the space is secure, engaging, and fun. Many children’s ministry curriculums are media-based and music is foundational to the engagement of the children. Familiar faces and weekly emphasis on worship and service help keep them involved and growing in their faith. Oftentimes, children are the ones who convince their families to attend a church.

Your audio solution in the space should be simple to use and equally reliable as it is predictable. Here are a couple of options to help you get the best audio in kids’ rooms:

Of course, your church community will look for casual gathering spaces before and after services to connect with staff and volunteers, engage with next steps, and catch up with one another. These spaces can be cafes, multipurpose spaces, lounges, and more. So the right audio for these areas can improve the guest experience by creating a relaxing environment that mitigates awkward silences while also not being overpowering or distracting.

Every worship space looks different — some have pitched roofs, some have low ceilings, some have walls of glass, and some have no windows. But the need for vocal clarity, intimacy, and powerful sound are important factors no matter the size and shape of the space. Here is a recommendation for your worship space, which delivers the clear, powerful sound your congregation expects: