How aware are you of new people and visitors at our church gatherings on a Sunday?
Last Sunday we had 25 guests at Morning Church and 16 guests are Night Church! For most of those visitors it was their first time ever at City on a Hill.
Each week God presents us with a fantastic opportunity to welcome people into our church whanau. We don't have to go and find them by knocking on doors or meeting them on the streets or doing anything... they just turn up to church with us!
One of the major factors determining whether or not someone will return is if they were made to feel welcome on their first visit. And this impression isn't just from the person up the front but from the people sitting to their left and right, in front and behind.
Often people will assume it is the pastor's job to welcome people. This means they are be looking to see how the average pew sitter behaves to determine if this is a warm and welcoming community to which they could belong.
There are a few golden minutes each week we have to show love and welcome to our guests.
The first is when they arrive. Does someone come and say 'Hello' and introduce themselves? Or are they left to loiter or sit all alone unsure of what is going on?
In Morning Church another key moment is when the kids head to their programme. In this break in the service do the people around them engage them in friendly conversation? Or do they turn the other way talking to people they already know?
Finally, in the first few minutes after the service ends. Has someone noticed they are a guest and approached them to talk to them? Or are they left to gather their things and leave while others catch-up with their friends?
Now there are a bunch of reasons why we might not engage with the new person or guest. We might not feel confident that they're actually new! We might not know what to talk about. We might have other people we need to catch or things to sort out.
However none of these things are insurmountable! The awkwardness of those moments only lasts a brief second but the impact that they can have could last into all eternity.
Can you commit to making the most of these golden minutes each Sunday? Preparing yourself to welcome someone new so that they might see in us the love that Christ has shown us as he welcomed us into his family?
Grace & peace,
Andrew
eNews - 26th May 2023