Archive for Articles – Hospitality
Will Guests Feel Welcomed If They Come?
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Will guests feel welcomed if they get invited this Sunday? I can’t help but ask this question. When I think about the conversations I have had with church folks who go quiet when I ask, “have you invited a non-churched friend to visit this year?” The odd look some people give about evangelism or sharing our faith often makes me ponder the question, what would happen if these people did invite someone? As we prepare for the holidays or simply next Sunday, giving thought to preparing our hearts and minds to openly welcome others to share the Good News of Jesus Christ is something we all must pray. It takes so much for a non-churched person to get up the “nerve” to walk in the doors of a sanctuary. Our most earnest prayer is that members will greet each and every person with sincere, Christian love.
Attitude is Everything!
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Do your ushers smile when worship guests approach? Will they take the time to say, “Good morning, welcome to Faith Fellowship Church. We’re glad you’re here?” A simple greeting like that can make the difference to someone who steps off the street. Awhile ago, I spoke with a man that had gone back to church after being away for many years. As he revealed his story, he told me how much courage it took for him to walk up the steps to his “old church.” For years, he had been away from church enjoying the “good life” and putting very little thought on anything besides a good time on Saturday night. It was not until he began to have health problems that prevented him from working that he decided to visit church. He described that first Sunday morning as the most difficult. He had to face people who possibly knew him and knew he had not been there. To his surprise, the first face he saw removed all of the anxiety and fear he had. The very first person he saw was an old high school friend who was an usher. Her initial response was a huge grin and warm embrace with the words, “I’m so glad to see you.” At that moment, he knew he was home. As I remember his story, I can not help but wonder what your ushers would say if they saw a long lost friend return to church?
Is Your Church a Warm Church?
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7 Habits of A Warm Church
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Is your church a warm church? How can you tell? Recently, I sat across from a woman that was reading the book by Stephen Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The thought of this book prompted me to ponder the thought of what makes up the seven habits of a warm church? Everytime I have talked to new members or discussed sharing a warm welcome in workshops, I almost always hear, demonstrating warmth begins with a smile. So to answer the question at the beginning of this paragraph, one of the ways to tell if your congregation will ever be accused of being warm is to look for smiling faces.
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Will Greeters Be in the Parking Lot?
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Does your church have greeters in the parking lot? Your congregation may already provide welcoming, friendly ushers and greeters at the entrance, hallways and fellowship hall but don’t stop. Add greeters to the parking lot. The people in this area could be the very first point of contact worship guests experience when they drive up to the church. That’s why the church parking lot can be a powerful evangelism tool. If you have never thought about it before, parking lots matter.
Start Connecting on Sunday!
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“Good morning, my name is_____.” Sound familiar? At warm, friendly , growing congregations you may hear this introduction often. Congregations that connect with new comers have members that introduce themselves and begin to uncover information about the new comer that may connect to current members. Let me take the above dialogue further. After the introduction a member may ask, “Are you new to the area? The visitor might respond, “Yes, I am from Hawaii.” Immediately the opportunity to start connecting begins. It is that simple.
