The Winsome Church 3

Let me continue again this time exploring what it takes for a church to become a winsome church, so that, it, by all means might win some. Members of the church should be able to feel condident that when their unchurched friends visits their church, they will find a welcome that is practically irresistable. This is my third rant on this subject.

3. Pastor you must lead the way in this. Anytime the church gathers, the pastor should do his/her best to let guests know he is glad to have the guests there. This is particulary true on Sunday morning. I suggest the pastor spend the last 15-20 minutes before the service in the worship room greeting the people, with an eye out for guests. Some pastors will say that they are in prayer for the service at that time. A few will admit they are cramming for their sermon like a college student getting ready for a final. But that few minutes before worship are critical for meeting and greeting guests. The emphasis of your personal greeting time should be the guests, especially ones who appear to be unattached to any of the members. You would do no less than this at home. It's the same as when company comes to your house. You concentrate on them, and expect the family to do the same. To do otherwise, would be rude. The old custom of the pastor appearing as worship begins is not very helpful. Do your praying, that's obviously important, but finish in time to greet your guests. Meeting the pastor puts people at ease,and begins a relationship. If they have seen the pastor up close, there is a better chance that they will be able to identify with him, and what he says in his message. Give them your name and invite them to tell you theirs. They may not want to tell you theirs. Don't assume a couple is married, and don't seek to define the relationship. Let them tell you what they want to tell you. Some folks will want to talk a lot. Others will want to be more or less invisible. They will appreciate your greeting, but they may not yet feel at ease enough to talk with you. Grow antennae and adjust to the guest

At some point, before or during the service, guests should be asked to fill out the welcome card, or a registration (Know Your Neighbor) form, so that the pastor can send a letter on Monday telling them how glad he is that they visited. Be sure to ask them to put the card in the offering or hand it you a staff member, an usher, or a greeter. I suggest that you assure guests that they will not find you camped out on their doorstep. Rather tell them you would like to be able to send them a note thanking them for coming and some information about what is happening at the church. A hand written note from a lay person is a great plus, too. Years ago, we used to try to visit everyone who visited the church. I found that worked pretty well, until about 1985. After that, it became harder to get people to open the door, and many felt uneasy about the pastor being there. I would have thought it was just a reaction to me, but many other pastors have reported the same thing. People in general, seldom drop by other folks homes anymore. This has been a change in our culture. Make sure there is a place on the registration card where they can indicate that they would like a call from the pastor. When someone checks this box, the pastor should respond with a phone call on Monday. If they want a visit, let them invite you to their home.

The point is that the pastor should be very involved in putting guests at ease. His example can serve as a model for all the greeters and, hopefully, all the members.

Does anybody know some other ways the pastor can put guests at ease?