A Welcoming Church?

As I travel, at various times, I have the opportunity to visit many churches. I thoroughly enjoy visiting other churches because it gives me the ability to see how other churches "do things." Sometimes I am able to pick up some good ideas. Other times, I get some ideas of things that aren't so good.

Recently, I was able to visit a church that I have never visited before.

• The church had beautiful facilities that were well kept..

• I enjoyed the song service.

• I liked how, in their prayer bulletin, they inserted the name of their city into Romans 10:1, to personalize it.

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for - name of their city - is, that they might be saved. Romans 10:1

However, when the pastor announced the title of his message, "A Welcoming Church Has a Contagious Joy," I almost left. Then, when he gave the first point of his message, "A welcoming church, that has contagious joy, provides gracious greetings," I really almost left. There was a definite disconnect between the pastor's message and what I had actually experienced. Allow me to explain:

I arrived a good 15 minutes before the service. As I was walking in from the parking lot, I was walking just beside a middle aged couple. They weren't smiling and, when I made eye contact with the man, he didn't smile or say "Hello." When we got to the door, they walked in in front of me. They made sure that the door didn't shut in my face but when I said thank you, the man didn't say anything in return (at least not that I could hear).

When I entered the lobby, another middle aged lady saw my Iowa sweatshirt and said, "Are you from Iowa? I'm from Iowa." When I acknowledge that I was, that was it, she kept walking.

There was a young lady, at the entrance to the auditorium, who smiled (that was a positive) and handed me a prayer bulletin but that was all.

I found a seat in the auditorium and sat down. (Again, I was seated about 15 minutes before the service started.)

An older lady, walking a few rows in front of where I was sitting, looked my way and smiled.

That was all the interaction, before the service, that I had with the church family.

Again, I enjoyed the song service. And then the message.

After the message, when the pastor encouraged the church to break up into small groups and pray, I went ahead and left. As I stepped out of the pew, a young man, who was sitting in the pew behind me noticed my Iowa sweatshirt and asked, "Are you from Iowa?" I said, "Yes, originally." He then said, "Go Hawks." That was all.

When I walked through the lobby, headed for the exit, there was a group of 5 men standing around the welcome desk. They made eye contact with me and I said, to all of them, "You gentlemen have a good night." They said something like, "You too."

That was all the interaction, after the service, that I had with the church family.

• No one introduced themself to me.

• No one asked me what my name was.

• No one shook my hand.

• No one asked me if I was visiting or what brought me to their church.

• No one gave me a visitor card.

• Nothing.

I'm sure that, under normal circumstances, that they are a welcoming church and that they give gracious greetings but that is not what I experienced.

• Maybe they weren't expecting a first time guest during their mid-week service.

• Maybe they were worn out from having hosted two funerals in recent weeks. (These funerals were for individuals who were not part of the church.)

• Maybe they just don't like people from Iowa! (Perhaps I should start wearing a North Carolina or South Carolina sweatshirt...No, I don't think that's going to happen!)

I do want to give this church the benefit of the doubt. I do want them to be a welcoming church that gives gracious greetings and is successful in bringing their community to Christ!

This can, though, serve as a teaching opportunity for my own church family!

There have been a few times when guests have commented that they found us to be unfriendly. But there have also been those times when we've had guests comment that we were too friendly! (I would much rather have a church that was too friendly than one that was not friendly enough!)

As a church, we only get once chance to make a first impression! And that first impression may make the difference between Heaven and Hell for an individual!

So, what should I (our church) learn from this?

• Always expect guests!

• Take responsibility for greeting guests!

• Smile and make eye contact!

• Take the initiative to interact with guests! Guests should not be the ones taking the initiative!

• Shake hands!

• Introduce yourself! If the guest doesn't volunteer their name, then kindly and graciously ask what their name is.

• Introduce them to someone else! Help them make friends!

• Take an interest in the guest! Ask them what brought them to South Charlotte Baptist Church! Offer to help them find a seat. Point out the location of the restroom. If they have nursery age children, offer to walk them to the nursery.

• Hand the guest a Connection Card and politely ask them to fill it out!

• At the conclusion of the service, thank them for coming. Invite them to come back.

Remember, we only get one chance to make a first impression!