When I put together my recent Sunday School survey, I really did not know what to expect of my question about name tags. Here it is:

Are name tags used in your Sunday School? (No; Yes, in younger classes; Yes in some classes; Yes, in most classes; Yes, in all classes)

A good researcher does his/her best to approach research without bias, but we are all human. While I know the values of name tags (and have written about them previously), I had never seen research data about name tags. Here are the results:

While the majority of Sunday Schools do not use name tags, a higher percentage use them in growing churches.

Name tags help your regular attenders to be ready for guests. They are a visual reminder that names are important. They acknowledge that guests come to class with some anxiety which can be eased through personal connection. And one way to help is for the guest to get to know class members by name and vice versa.

Many classes grow tired of wearing name tags when they already know each others' names. But when guests regularly are part of class, name tags are accepted. And yet a class or Sunday School which desires to shift the emphasis toward reaching out may benefit from encouraging name tag use. It is a small action that points to guests. It is a reminder that the class is expecting new people. It is a reminder to pray for, care for, and invite new people.

Help your teachers understand the benefits of name tags (see some of the blog posts below). Help your members understand the benefits. Buy name tags. Start using them. Set goals for guests. Pray. Care. Invite. Follow up. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about name tags and connecting with guests, check out these blog posts:

• Be Revolutionary! Wear Name Tags in Sunday School
• Balancing First Impression and Connection in Sunday School
• Initial Reflections on Sunday School Survey Results, Post Script
• Connecting More People This Year in Small Groups
• Sunday School Class Growth Is Spelled W-O-R-K, Part 3
• Grow Your Sunday School Class by Organizing to Respond in Times of Need
• New Sunday School Teachers: Getting Ready for a New Year
• Three Simple Strategies to Increase Sunday School Attendance, Part 2
• Sunday School/Small Groups: Where Everybody Knows Your Name, Part 1
• Sunday School Spaces of Opportunity to Treat Guests Well, Part 2
• What to Say to a Sunday School Guest
• Helping Sunday School Guests FEEL Welcome
• The Front Door of the Sunday School
• The Big Four to Be a Sticky Sunday School Class, Part 2
• Great First Impressions for Sunday School Guests, Part 2