The Winsome Church 1

Last week I talked at length about Christians sharing their faith naturally. I said that I would share with you what a church can do to help Christians bring their friends and neighbors to Christ. Never has there been a church that didn't think it was friendly. Most of them are: to each other. However, a church that is going to help individuals lead their friends and neighbors to Christ, must be "guest conscious". I think there are five important components to becoming guest conscious, this week I'll share the first one:

1. The church should expect people to come who don't know Christ and be ready for them. If the church asks its people to bring their non-Christian, hopefully, pre-Christian friends, the church should do what it can to make sure they feel welcome. That takes more than a smile from the usher when he/she hands the guest a bulletin. It means thinking about the guests and what would make them feel welcome: from the sermon that is preached and music that is used, to the decoration and lighting of the worship area, to the way people dress.

The pastor must make sure that an unchurched person can understand his message. He can never use words that they won't understand unless he explains the meaning. As he prepares, he must continually ask the Lord to enable him bring messages that will speak to the hearts of the unchurched. Every service must somehow include the simple message of God's love, the sinfulness of all men, the need for reconciliation, forgiveness and submission to God's will. Not every sermon has to deal with all these things, but they need to be dealt with at some point. Perhaps it could come in the prayer, the songs, a testimony, or a video. Church leaders should think about who they are most likely to reach when doing any planning. Those people are the ones the church wants to impress with its programs, classes, and messages. (I know your church wants to reach everybody, I am sure that is true, but a church that plans for everybody, often reaches nobody.)

How does your church show that it expects guests to come? Or, how does it show that it is not ready for guests?

Next time when we will look at the act of welcoming a guest at church.