Welcome Stephanie Barrett, Guest Experience Director
As the holidays approach, many of us will open our doors to family and friends. Our homes will be clean, de-cluttered, and filled with inviting scents. These are intentional actions meant to communicate that we value our guests and have spent time and energy preparing for them. At the end of the day, we want our guests to know that they matter to us.
This is the heart we operate with at Access Church. We want our guests to know we have thought about them before they even enter the property. Since this requires a team effort, we needed a leader that embodies the essence of hospitality. It makes sense, then, that we welcome Stephanie Barrett to our Access staff as our Guest Experience Director.
Stephanie has been a part of Access Church since 2006, when it was a small group of people meeting in a home, dreaming about starting a church that unchurched people love to attend. She has been involved in many volunteer roles since she helped launch Access from student ministry to women’s groups and more. One of her favorite things about Access is the people. “Our people are the best on the planet!” she said.
Stephanie is passionate about connecting people to each other, to church, and to God. As Guest Experience Director, she is actively engaged in meeting guests, following up on their experience, and including personal touches, like hand-written notes. She understands that guests are coming from a wide range of past church experiences. “A warm welcome from the parking lot to the auditorium is essential,” she said. “We want to communicate throughout the entire visit that we are excited about our guests and what’s happening at Access.”
In particular, Stephanie wants to be sure parents feel comfortable bring their children to church. “When parents visit for the first time, it can be overwhelming for them to find the appropriate classes for their kids,” she said. “We walk them to UpStreet or Waumba Land and get them checked in and then accompany the parents back to the auditorium.”
The Guest Experience team is a great place for Access attenders to get plugged in and serve. For new attenders, this is a wonderful opportunity to meet others and connect in a deeper way. It does not require a lot of biblical knowledge to serve on this team; it only requires a desire to make others feel welcome and provide a place where they can “belong before they believe.”
Stephanie is married to Access Church’s lead pastor, Rich Barrett, and she’s a dedicated mom of four. Some of her favorites are writing, reading, family, the beach, and Jesus! Be sure to welcome Stephanie to this new role when you see her this week!
If you’re interested in joining Stephanie and the rest of the Guest Experience Team, shoot Stephanie an email. She’d love to learn more about you and get you plugged in.
