ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FOR A CHURCH! [Part 1 – more to follow…]

There is no seniority in a church!

Because you’ve been at a church for a long time doesn’t mean that you should have more say, power or influence than someone newer!

I know! This is kind of shocking! But healthy churches are unique, in that they want to be continually growing and expanding the Kingdom of God!

There are not grades of membership based on longevity, levels of involvement or amounts of financial support! When these very items ARE actively in place, the prognosis for growth is rendered hopeless!

THE GREAT CHALLENGE

The great challenge is in assimilating new people!  

Maintaining a growing, vibrant body of diverse believers requires the grace of the Holy Spirit and the humility of the people of faith!

In most churches, it takes years for a new member [or family] to be fully assimilated into the life of the body of believers! That’s a sad reality!

Developing strategies for expediting this process should be a major, ongoing goal for every church that wants to fully embrace new people and help them to be all that God desires of them!

The arrival of new people is such a blessing to any church!

However, acknowledging them publicly [such as having them stand to be recognized] is a horrible idea! Singling them out is embarrassing and is likely a sure way to guarantee that they will never come back!

BUT, there are other ways that we can welcome them. Many of us have learned how to do this from the mega-church models. Some tips:

·        Have friendly people meeting and greeting attenders in the parking lot! Selecting these individuals is critical – let me illustrate:

I shop at a nearby Walmart store and am in their building several times a week. We’re all familiar with their practice of having a greeter as you use their main entrance.

They are currently using a mature man who looks horribly uncomfortable in his role. Although I have spoken to him, he has never spoken to me. He completely avoids eye-contact with customers. He looks miserable!

Please don’t think me mean. I pray for the guy every time I enter the store. Actually I respect him for his strength and determination. He apparently needed a job and Walmart hired him! I admire him AND Walmart – for giving people opportunities!

The point is to get the right people greeting folks in the parking lot!

When I attended Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church in southern California, I was met by groups of people as I parked and walked the long distance to the church. These people welcomed me by inquiring where I was from and if I was a first-time visitor.

I told them that I had been to the church for seminars throughout the week, They asked how I’d been enjoying my experience. The point is: they engaged me personally and let me know that they were genuinely pleased that I had come this Sunday!

While serving at Cornerstone Church in Akron, Ohio, we had a group of men who greeted people in the parking lot. They were jokesters and had a lot of fun with people as they arrived. They would often tell people what to expect in the service [based on the fact that they had attended an earlier service].

Ø "Pastor Brenda is really on target this morning!”

Ø “Wait till you hear the special music this morning!”

Ø “You’re in for a blessing today!”

On rainy days they held umbrellas for the people approaching the church building.

On snowy Sundays, they offered assistance from the parking lot to the main entrance!

They made themselves available to assist:

Ø Special needs individuals

Ø Families with multiple or young children

Ø Elderly folks

They had been trained to wait until people exited their vehicles in order to avoid uncomfortable situations regarding getting in-and-out.

 ·        Have warm, friendly greeters at all doors to greet people and welcome them to the service of worship.

They can be trained – with those they don’t recognize – to inquire if they’ve worshipped here before.  If they haven’t, they can offer to enter with them and show them around [including where to hang coats and the location of restrooms]. This will, of course, necessitate someone else being ready to step into their greeting spot so that others are not overlooked.

 These individuals often view their role as a ministry.

 At Cornerstone, a man named Ken was a fixture at the main entrance every Sunday. He discriminately offered people a hug as they entered.

In my role as a counselor at the church, I remember vividly being told by a single-mom that one of the reasons she came to Cornerstone was because it was the only place in her week where she was hugged!

 

·        Have people placed at the entranceways to the worship center to greet people by telling them that they’re glad to see them!

If people are being escorted by the ‘door-greeters’ then they can give them an especially warm comment like: “We’re glad you chose to worship with us this morning!”

If worship folders are used, they can distribute them.

These greeters should stay in place for at least 5-10 minutes after the worship begins. If latecomers look awkward, they could ask if they need help finding a seat. Then they can usher them into worship and strategically ease their late entrance.

·        In addition to all of the above, certain people can be trained to simply be on-the-watch for people who appear to be new attenders. Some of these people will enjoy mingling in the foyer [before and after service] and keeping an eye open for new people! Others may simply hang out at the rear of the worship center – also being alert to speak with newer people.

They are simply another wave of greeter who makes people feel welcome and assists them in any way that they might need [for instance: making them aware of a nursery or special worship opportunities for young children].

·        Having a gift available for first-time attenders is a kind offering used by many growing churches.

Don’t ask them to approach a ‘Welcome Center’ to receive this gift [they don’t even know where the ‘Welcome Center’ is!!  The door greeters who first discern that this is a new person/family should take them to this location before even entering the worship center and see that they are given the gift.

TIP:

Make the gift worthwhile. Of course you’ll want to include information about your church! They expect that! But add things of value!

Ø Maybe a gift certificate to Chick-fil-A

Ø If it’s a family – perhaps bags of candy for the children

Ø If you have photographers in your congregation – perhaps a free picture

Ø Perhaps a box of homemade cookies [a church I served delivered these early the next week]!

Ø Or maybe one of Hal Haire’s Christian romance novels!!!!!

Lonely For A Long Time

A Life Repurposed

Overwhelmed

Never Unreachable

[Available on Amazon or from Hal Haire]  😁

The next entry will discuss: THE NEED FOR LEADERS!