WELCOME?

 

It amazes me how many articles and books are written about how to make church guest feel welcome. Almost everyday I am reading about how churches, or better yet church members, are not making their guest feel welcome. Scripture teaches us to love our neighbor. For that matter, Scripture teaches us to love our enemy. 

Why is so hard to love a church guest? 

Here are a few common denominators. 

1. I am comfortable, so they must be. We are creatures of habit. We know where everything is; How to get there; Who teaches what class, etc. However, our guest do not. They don't even know where the bathroom is! 

2. They don't look like they fit in. REALLY?! How do you know what this person is like? They may be a great   person.They may be your next best friend. If someone doesn't engage this guest, you can bet they won't fit in...'cause they won't be back. 

3. The Holy - Huddle Syndrome. I admit, I borrowed this term from Thom Rainer. Thanks Thom! You can picture this. We are so engaged in our "Inner Circle" that we don't notice, much less engage the visitor standing right next to us.

4. I'm not a greeter. / It's not my job. I hate to break it to you, but we're all greeters, or we should be. Newcomers MUST be treated special. If you don't have new faces coming to church, how do you grow? You don't. So meet and greet every new face as if your church's life depended on it. 

So... You get the idea? Churches across this nation and around the world can start greeting with a new passion, or see their congregation dwindle. I believe that there is a place for the official greeter at the door. But, we all need to be a greeter. In the hall, in our classes, in our break time...Research, polls and study's have all found the most common answer to the question, "Why did you not go back to that church?" The answer to that question is ...

Drum Roll Please!!

"They weren't friendly." 

With that being said, meet that guest with a smile and make them feel special. 

John 15:12 

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.