As a pastor, I don't get many Sunday's away. Can't just go somewhere for the weekend, because I must be at our church on Sundays. But when we do go on vacation, we get the opportunity to visit a local church where ever we are. And it is always interesting...
This past Sunday, we were in a large Church of the Brethren congregation and though people flitted around before and after the service, only one person, (that I didn't already know) greeted me. Only one! And had I not been hanging around until nearly everyone else was gone, I would be able to say that no one greeted me! I was shocked! Now, I did know some people there and they did greet me, but there was lots of time that I was standing around by myself in the lobby both before and after the worship gathering and NO ONE greeted me until about 20 minutes after the service.
That is sad!
But more than that, it makes me hope that this NEVER happens to anyone who comes to Community of Joy! I realize that some guests come late and leave fast and it is hard to greet them. But this was not the case with me on Sunday. It also makes me realize how intentional we need to be about greeting our guests FIRST. BEFORE we greet those we know. It also makes me realize that we have to be intentional about not assuming that "someone else" will greet the guest.
If I had been looking for a church to connect with, I would not have given that church a second look!
It is critical that we do better in the church!
Remember it is just as hard for the guest to be there among strangers and in a new place as it is for you to go greet someone you don't know, so, go anyway and go first!
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2 comments:
My big fear is that I will greet someone as a newcomer and find out that it was someone I should already know. A church directory or a bulletin board could cure my shyness enormously.
The problem is we let that fear keep us from doing what we should do! You don't have to ask their name or anything like that... just say Hi, how are you (of course, mean it and wait for the answer). Not a soul even did that... not even the persons with the "greeter" badges on!
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