The Come Back Effect - by Jason Young & Jonathan Malm (Paperback)

About the Book

Highly sought-after speakers and consultants provide church leaders valuable insights and practical ideas on how to create a ministry driven by hospitality and an experience that makes first-time guests keep coming back.

Book Synopsis

The key to growth as a church, youth ministry, or a business is getting first-time guests to come back. And as any good manager of a hotel, a store, a restaurant, or an attraction knows, the key to getting guests to come back is not actually the rooms or the product or the food itself; it's how guests feel when they're there. It's about hospitality. No matter how much effort and time we spend on excellence--stirring worship time, inspiring sermons, a good coffee blend in the foyer--what our guests really want when they come to our churches is to feel welcome, comfortable, and understood.

Written by a church consultant and a hospitality expert, The Come Back Effect shows church, ministry, and even business leaders the secret to helping a first-time guest return again and again. Through an engaging, story-driven approach, they explain how service and hospitality are two different things, show how Jesus practiced hospitality, and invite leaders to develop and implement changes that lead to repeat visits and, eventually, to sustained growth.

From the Back Cover

"Guests want to come back because of what they experience during their first visit. How to make that happen is what Jason and Jonathan share in this book."--from the foreword by Andy Stanley

As any good manager of a hotel, store, restaurant, or attraction knows, the key to getting guests to come back is how they feel when they're there. It's about hospitality. No matter how much effort and time we spend on excellence--a stirring worship time, inspiring sermons, a good coffee blend in the foyer--what guests at our churches really want is to feel welcome, comfortable, and understood.

Written by a church consultant and a hospitality expert, The Come Back Effect shows you the secret to helping a first-time guest return again and again. Through this engaging, story-driven approach, you'll discover how to develop and implement changes that lead to repeat visits and, eventually, to sustained growth in your church or ministry.


"Jason Young and Jonathan Malm have written an important book for anyone hoping to grow their church, expand their ministry, or strengthen their business. In The Come Back Effect, they give the reader practical ways to create a healthy and thriving culture."--Craig Groeschel, pastor, Life.Church; author, Divine Direction: 7 Decisions That Will Change Your Life

"Hospitality is, in its simplest form, the loving of strangers. This book dives deep in showing what that looks like. Read and prepare for impact."--Dr. Johnny Hunt, senior pastor, First Baptist Church Woodstock

"Jason and Jonathan provide leaders with a great framework for creating amazing experiences for first-time and returning guests!"--Tyler Reagin, president, Catalyst


Jason Young is director of guest experience at Buckhead Church and North Point Ministries, a nationally known network of churches with 36,000 people in average weekly attendance. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Jonathan Malm runs SundaySocial.tv and ChurchStageDesignIdeas.com, reaching more than 70,000 church leaders each month, and consults with churches regularly on guest services and creative expression. He lives in San Antonio, Texas.

About the Author

Jason Young is a hospitality, leadership, and emotional intelligence coach and communicator. He is director of guest experience at Buckhead Church and North Point Ministries, a nationally known network of churches with 36,000 people in average weekly attendance. He has also worked with numerous organizations, including Ford Motor Company, Life.Church, and Chick-fil-A. Jason has written for numerous publications and enjoys posting helpful content at jasonyounglive.com. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Jonathan Malm runs SundaySocial.tv and ChurchStageDesignIdeas.com, reaching more than 70,000 church leaders each month. He has begun multiple businesses and consults with churches regularly on guest services and creative expression. Jonathan had the privilege of directing Echo Conference in 2013, a church conference with over 1,000 attendees. He lives in San Antonio, Texas.