The Attractive Church Checklist

The Attractive Church Checklist (Increasing our friendship factor)

#1 Making “welcoming” everybody’s business.

The majority of congregations consider themselves very friendly and are never intentionally unfriendly or rude to those who might attend for the first time looking for a church home or that come searching for an answer to a spiritual need. But, if most new people do not come back a second time, then, maybe, we need to consider how we might revamp and improve our “friendship factor”.

Socrates said: “An unexamined life is not worth living”. I have found that it is helpful, as a chruch leader, to regularly evaluate how we are doing in every area of ministry and make adjustments, if necessary, so as to remain effective for the cause of Christ. It is much easier to “tweak” something than wait till it has fallen apart.

The Goal: That the whole congregation understand and practice that welcoming new people is everybody’s business.

The Need: Ensure that our greeters, lobby “floaters” and ushers are gifted relationally and love their ministry but recognize that the “tipping point” of real community impact happens when we all become a caring fellowship towards new people. Accepting and including is the key.

The Solution: A mindset change where regular members now see themselves as hosts welcoming new people, just like they would to their home where they want everyone to feel comfortable, loved, cared for and safe (after all this is their home church).

The implementation:

·         Teach often on the priesthood of all believers in light of welcoming

·         Incorporate the “everyone is a host” attitude into the training programs for all who minister (Sunday School teachers, Men’s ministry, worship team etc.)

·         Have this “host” vision presented in your church vision and new members classes

·         That the church leaders’ model this as an example to the congregation.

·         Publicly use recent stories of the impact of being welcomed on an individual or family that now attend your church. Remember that stories change culture.

·         Note: having everyone turn and greet their neighbour on a Sunday, while it can be good (but uncomfortable and a negative to many new people unfamiliar with church traditions) does not count as genuine welcoming. The key to welcoming, that will have people coming back, is to spend some time showing an interest in and getting to know them.

The Inspiration: Years ago a well known Jamaican engineer attended our congregation for the first time and was welcomed 17 (he counted) times before he sat down in his seat (we overdid it!). The “official” greeters talked to him but so did regular people who sat with him and introduced him to others, all before the service started. That morning he was one of the people who responded to the gospel. In my view, it had little to do with my preaching and everything to do with God using His love expressed through regular welcoming believers.

David Arrol Macfarlane lives, wit his wife Diana, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and can be invited to speak in churches and at events. E-mail: arrol.mac@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.davidamacfarlane.com/ Inspiring audiences to Action, Growth and Significance Member of the Luis Palau Evangelists Network Trainer for Billy Graham Canada