The first school of thought is the one I started out in. This view says have some form of a connection card whether that is a tear off on the worship program or a card in the back of a pew or an insert in our worship program. During an announcement or welcome time ask EVERYBODY to fill out a card. The idea is that you are being sensitive to your first time guests by not making them feel like they are the only ones filling out cards. I have found this method gets you a higher rate of return on the cards.
The second school of thought was suggested to me by my coach Jim Griffith. Jim suggests that that you do all of the above but that you don't ask everybody to fill them out but as you welcome first time guests you use the language, "If you are a first time guest with us and would LIKE TO REGISTER YOUR ATTENDANCE with us this morning we invite you to use the tear off in your worship program." The difference here will come in the quality of the card you get back. You will not get as many back but they will be "qualified". What I mean is that these are the people who will in actuality be saying "Hey notice me, send me a letter, give me a call, bring a gift by my house etc." Or, they are are at least open to that. Using this method persons do not feel compelled to fill out a card because the pastor said so. Moreover, the person who has filled out a card using the first method I described may have very well decided in the next three minutes that they are never coming back to your church again for whatever reason.
It seems to me that both these methods can work. What I like about the the second method and why I have chosen to use it at New Season is that allows a guest greater latitude to be anonymous if they so choose, or to be noticed. When people, even persons with no church background, put their address down, they have a reasonable expectation that they will be contacted.
Here is what our card looks like. It is a tear off in the worship program.
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