John Acuff recently shared the extravagant (and lengthy!) welcome found in the bulletin at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Community in Daytona Beach, FL:
We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, gay, filthy rich, dirt poor, yo no habla Ingles. We extend a special welcome to those who are crying new-borns, skinny as a rail or could afford to lose a
few pounds.
We welcome you if you can sing like Andrea Bocelli or like our pastor who can’t carry a note in a bucket. You’re welcome here if you’re “just browsing,” just woke up or just got out of jail. We don’t care if you’re more Catholic than the Pope, or haven’t been in church since little Joey’s Baptism.
We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet, and to teenagers who are growing up too fast. We welcome soccer moms, NASCAR dads, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, junk-food eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you’re having problems or you’re down in the dumps or if you don’t like “organized religion,” we’ve been there too.
If you blew all your offering money at the dog track, you’re welcome here. We offer a special welcome to those who think the earth is flat, work too hard, don’t work, can’t spell, or because grandma is in town and wanted to go to church.
We welcome those who are inked, pierced or both. We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down your throat as a kid or got lost in traffic and wound up here by mistake. We welcome tourists, seekers and doubters, bleeding hearts … and you!
So What?
I am currently a part of a congregation affiliated with the United Church of Christ, a denomination known for its inclusiveness and extravagant welcome. Thankfully, the welcome people receive in this congregation is consistent with the denomination’s desired extravagant welcome. While denominational support is ideal, ultimately the welcome is received on the level of a local congregation.
- How would you describe your congregation’s welcome? How have others described it?
- What specific initiatives in recent years have had a positive effect on how welcomed newcomers feel (especially newcomers who are dissimilar to the congregation’s primary demographic)?
- Describe what you would imagine as an extravagant welcome if you were to visit a congregation for the first time.