Through the eyes of a guest...

So many of us who are active in a local church don't realize how intimidating going to a new church can be the first time you go.  That's one of the reasons I like to go to visit a church whenever I am on vacation.  It helps me to look at things from the perspective of an outsider or guest.  If you think about it a moment... it doesn't take too long to acclimate to things you experience regularly and quickly be unable to see things that might frighten guests.

On New Years Day, I enjoyed an opportunity to visit a church in Va, that is pastored by a good friend of mine.  It was awesome to see him in his ministry context! 

This visit made me realize that we need to almost go overboard to welcome our guests and make them feel at ease.  And it begins with pointing the way to the entrance and then from there to the sanctuary.  I arrived about twenty minutes before the start of the service and parked in the back, but walked to the front so that I could enter the front door.  There were no outside signs to help me navigate my way.  Upon entering the building, there was a hallway with a long ramp and some steps, it was hard to know where to go - so I chose to walk up the steps and there encountered the sound guy busy at work... he offered me a bulletin and I went in to sit and wait for worship to begin.  I was releived that I had found the right place!  I was surprised at my uneasy feeling especially since being in churches is a very common thing for me.

I am grateful that at Community of Joy, we have outside greeters who welcome folks as they come in off the parking lot or street... heck, they even wave to passersby!   I am sure that we could do much better once people get inside the building with our extending hospitality and making guests feel at ease!   It usually isn't too hard to tell when someone is visiting - and when we notice them, it is a good idea to greet them warmly.  And it is important not to wait until the end of the worship time or to hope that someone else will greet them.  Studies show that guests determine whether they will come back within the first 12 minutes of being there!   We never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Being a place where relationships matter is important!  And the first step toward that is to greet our guests warmly!