Here is some of what we touched on with some additional thoughts as well:
- I believe that greeting is one of the essentials of the church. I would rate the message, music, and children ministry above greeting, but greeting sort of encompasses all of these areas. The pastor can make people feel welcome by the way he communicates; the worship leader can make people feel welcome by the way he, or she is able to get people involved in singing; the children's ministry not only can make the the children feel welcome, but many parents will tell you that how their children respond on Sunday mornings is essential in their decision making to choose a church.
- We have all had a negative experience when visiting a church. We pulled into the parking lot, walked through the doors and made it to an empty seat without one person saying "Hi". This can be very discouraging when you feel all alone in an environment that is supposed to be inviting and personable.
- It is not much better when a greeter pretends to be interested in you either. In fact... in some cases it might even be worse. Take the time to smile and be genuinely interested in someone you've never met before. A big part of this is listening. If they aren't very talkative... pose some interesting questions and sit back and listen.
- Help people find their way around. This is especially pertinent with families that have young children. Make it an easier process on them. Get to know them some as you walk them over to the children's registration area. I guarantee you that this will leave a lasting impact on them!
- Lastly... You can never have too many greeters!!! I don't care if you have 20 people, or 9,000 people at your church on Sunday! Some of you might be thinking... "Well... they are a much larger church, so they will obviously have more greeters. It's just easier for them because they are a bigger church than we are." Actually... that is not true! It's not easier for them! They have more people to greet if they are larger... meaning that they obviously need more greeters. That large church got to be so large for a reason! They probably were very good in their earlier years at making people feel comfortable and welcome. Don't think that I'm saying that God's hand wasn't in it, or the pastors messages weren't engaging, or the worship wasn't outstanding!!! Those are all important factors as well... but for the purposes of our focus in this blog, I am trying to focus on the greeting aspects.
A perfect example of this last point is NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC. (http://www.newspring.cc/ ) They are an excellent example of a church that started small and grew quickly without loosing their focus. They are an 8 year old church plant that now has over 8,000 people on Sundays. My wife Joy and I have had nothing but good experiences when attending their. Last time we were their we were probably greeted by 15-20 people from the time we pulled in the parking lot, to the time we sat in our seats for worship! This only happens when churches have the right focus from the start.
Even if you have 50 people at your church on Sunday... greeting must be a priority! You must always think like a church that is twice your size. If you average 50 people on Sunday think like you are a church of 100. Have as many greeters as possible... getting to know new people... all the way from the street to the seat!!!
AND...
I guarantee you that no visitor will ever complain that your church was too friendly, or that too many people greeted them!!!
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