Thursday, May 19, 2022

Welcoming A Guest Is Different Than Taking Attendance

I have been very encouraged by the number and frequency of first-time visitors that seem to be finding their way to Celebration these days.

I have also been stumped about how we - that is to say "All-Of-Us-That-Make-Up-Celebration" - can better identify, welcome, and engage with these first-time visitors. It is a heartache for me to sit in my office on Monday with a recollection of a new face "sitting about two-thirds back and on my left and in front of BLANK."  Did they bump my fist after the service?  Did I see them at coffee??  And I can't answer my own questions.  Yikes!

Most people who have spent years going to church are accustomed to "passing that name pad thing."  I thought about that and remembered my own experience with those as a worshipper and a pastor.  I dug into some research to get a sense of what others are finding.  In a nutshell, fewer and fewer people are willing to "sign in."  This is especially true of those who are "just visiting," or "checking things out" for a first-time, the very people you would like to have contact with.

What I'm realizing more and more, is that there is a critical difference between "taking attendance" and "welcoming a guest."  The "Welcome Pad" sign-in method is just taking attendance.  At best.

Taking attendance helps keep up with those who already belong or identify with us.  Welcoming a guest opens a relational door for those who would feel "outside" on their first Sunday.  It actively invites them to take a next step "in."

Taking attendance helps us see "who of us is missing."  Welcoming a guest helps us ask, "Who is the Father bringing?" or "Who is the Father calling us to serve?"

A ministry mentor once told me that, "You want your worship space and service space to say to a guest: We are glad you came, and we actually thought before-hand about how to make you welcome."  We had you in mind - or someone like you - even before you arrived.  Welcome!  You are the answer to our prayers and preparation.

Have you ever been to one of those, "new, seeker-sensitive-startup-type-churches"?  I'm not willing to go "hook, line and sinker" with everything associated with a church like that, but I do observe two things: They don't pass the "Welcome Binder" to connect with visitors, and they typically do a great job of identifying, welcoming and engaging their first-time visitors.

I am pretty certain that there is no system, plan or program we can put in place that will solve this dilemma. It will take the people of Celebration being involved.  A good system for welcoming can support people doing the welcoming, but it cannot replace them or run without them.  It is "insiders" that have the power to make "outsiders" feel welcome.  The Father uses people to communicate and demonstrate His grace. This is so central to the Gospel that God Himself became a people to make the Gospel possible.  A good system for welcoming can support people doing the welcoming, but it cannot replace them or run without them.

So pray with me.  Let's talk and brainstorm.  If the Father is bringing people, how does He want to motivate and equip us to welcome them with His love?

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Does this get some thoughts and questions going in your mind?  As always, feel free to make contact with me - you can add a comment below or through the Harderwyk Ministries office - and let's talk.

Perhaps you'd also be interested in this post: "How the Stand and Greet Time Disappeared in Churches and How To Replace It."  CLICK HERE

Or even "The Amazing Shift of Four "Front Doors" in Churches" - CLICK HERE

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