Welcome again!

IS YOUR CHURCH A WELCOMING CHURCH?

“The New Millennium Challenge to the Churches”, by Steve Chalke and Sue Radford, contains a list of promises churches should make to the people around them. The first is: “We will make you welcome.”
Does your church keep that promise? Do we as individuals?
When a stranger comes to the door, is it open? Who greets them? Are there members of the congregation ready to look them in the eye, to be friendly but not too effusive? You can do it. Don’t just leave it to the stewards on duty.
When a stranger is looking for a seat, will you say, “Sit next to me!”? Will you keep a kindly but unobtrusive eye on them during the service, making sure they can find their place in the hymn book and know when to stand and when to sit? Will you encourage them to join in communion?
After the service, will you make sure that for the first three minutes you talk to a stranger, or to someone else you don’t know very well? If tea or coffee is being served, will you encourage a stranger to join you? Will you introduce them to another member of the congregation, and to the minister, if possible? Will you give them a church magazine? Will you invite them to come again?
Think about it! Do something about it!

Margaret Burchell