What does it actually take to help families move from attending to fully engaged?

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.

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.

You’ll hear:

Why most churches are running outdated inherited programs
The shift from information to connection and why that matters more than ever
The pros and cons of 7 week, 4 week, and 1 week next step models
Why volunteering is often the best first step for engagement
A brand new approach Greg is testing that could reshape assimilation strategies

If you want to help people take real next steps toward Jesus, not just attend, this conversation will challenge how you think about assimilation.

00:00 Intro and Guest Welcome
01:00 Greg and Tommy Backgrounds
03:00 The Evolution of Assimilation at Eastside
06:00 From 7 Weeks to 4 Weeks to 1 Week
09:30 Why Most Church Assimilation Strategies Fail
12:00 The Power of Connection over Information
14:30 Why Volunteering Is the Best First Step
18:30 Rethinking Discipleship and Small Groups
22:00 What Most Churches Are Doing Wrong Right Now
24:30 The “Window” for Getting People Engaged
27:00 How Long It Actually Takes to Get Connected
29:30 Why Timing and Targeting Matter
32:00 Stop Overloading People with Information
35:00 Just-in-Time vs Just-in-Case Communication
37:30 The One Week Model Explained
41:00 New Trends Post-COVID in Church Engagement
43:30 A Bold New Assimilation Strategy
46:00 Interest Meetings Instead of Classes
48:30 Creating “Hot Leads” Instead of Cold Leads
50:00 The Role of Follow-Up and “Knownness”
52:00 Practical Ideas Churches Can Try Right Now
54:00 Climbing the Assimileas and Sherpa Tribe
56:00 Final Thoughts and Takeaways