Passage for reflection: 1 Peter 5:14 Churches are some of the friendliest and most welcoming places around. Whether navigating as newcomer or returning as a regular, people expect to receive a warm welcome. In reality, first-time experiences fall short of the ideal more often than not. When I visited one of the fastest growing congregations in the country I stood alone in the lobby for an extended period of time before and after worship watching people pass me by without receiving a single Read More …
welcome
Passing the Peace / Greeting (#1519)
Hearing someone in a nearby pew say, "The peace of Christ be with you," is a normal part of worship in most mainline Protestant Churches. Erin Lane recently wrote a blog post sharing her experience of how awkward and stressful passing the peace was for her when attending worship by herself. She writes: Passing the peace was hands down the loneliest ritual I endured as a solo worshipper. . . waiting my turn for someone to turn toward me during the passing of the peace? Excruciating. Read More …
Sermon: Experiencing & Extending God’s Welcome (#1512)
Text: Luke 14: 7-15 Sermon Excerpt What in the name of God is going on here? This is a question you will hear me ask many times in the weeks ahead. I begin this morning as I did with the children – with welcome. I imagine many, perhaps even most of you have a welcome mat outside the front door of your home. It is a sign to all who approach your residence that they will find welcome within. Newcomers to communities of faith are usually not looking down to read words on the Read More …
Learning from Church Spies (#1180)
Terry Mattingly writes the nationally syndicated “On Religion” column for the Scripps Howard News Service in Washington, D.C., and is director of the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. His latest article, "Lessons Learned from Church Spies," features the story of one spy's experience. The church spy, Chuck Lawless (evangelism professor and the graduate dean at Southeastern Baptist Theological Read More …
Churches Should (#1103)
Church leaders should expect newcomers at all worship services, and plan accordingly. Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, recently shared a list of helpful hints reflecting on his visits to a number of churches over the last seven months. He recommends congregations: have plentiful signage on the outside and inside, offer user-friendly websites, and help newcomers easily locate parking and restrooms. So What? Rainer's recommendations Read More …
Refusing a Handshake (#0849)
Within church life, many congregations include a time of greeting/welcome during the worship service. During that time participants are encouraged to talk to one another, and many include friendly handshakes in those interactions. In recent years, however, an increasing number of people have opted out of the handshaking or any type of physical contact during these moments of fellowship. This trend is most noticeable during flu season. So What? Whether invited to pass Read More …
Radical Hospitality Isn’t Enough (#0825)
Scott Benhase, Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Georgia, recently wrote that radical hospitality alone is no longer adequate. In his understanding, the theology most commonly undergirding radical hospitality is such that it supposes something of a "law of attraction" wherein "if we’re just open and welcoming enough people will naturally be attracted to us and want to come and join our churches." In reality, the number of people who are attracted continues to dwindle thereby Read More …
Church Size & First Time Guests (#0805)
Faith Perceptions recently released the latest edition of their church index, which provides insight into the experiences of first time guests. More specifically, the findings are based on 1,152 separate and unique church services attended by the company's mystery guests (think mystery shoppers for church attendance) between early 2008 and June 1, 2012. The overall results for each church size are shown below (p.6). So What? Large churches (those with average weekly Read More …
Future Church – More Begin by Belonging (#0703)
Church v.2020 - Ten Changes: #5 More Begin by Belonging – Less Begin by Believing When compared with the American church of 2012, the future church (v.2020) will offer a new order to the faith that begins with belonging instead of believing. Diana Butler Bass rightly recognizes this shift as the one capable of moving the church from "religion-as-institution" to "religio as spiritually vital faith" (Christianity After Religion, 2012: p.204 -- read my review here). The Read More …
Effectively Welcoming Visitors (#0695)
Kevin Hendricks, founder of Monkey Outta Nowhere and author of Addition by Adoption: Kids, Causes and 140 Characters (2010), recently wrote a post for Church Marketing Sucks entitled "Making Visitors Feel Welcome (But Not Too Welcome)". In the article he reflects on the topic in light of his reflections after hearing Anne Lamott read from her latest book and talk about her own experience. Recognizing a one-size-fits-all approach is ineffective, Hendricks suggests those Read More …