“You Are A Greeter, Too!”
Remember the first time you worshiped at Resurrection? I do. Maybe I was different, because I had a ‘tour guide.’ Most first time worship guests at Resurrection are not so lucky – they do not have a tour guide. There are hesitations about where to sit, what the bulletin is and does, the Holy Communion distribution procedure, the location of the restrooms – or the church nursery – or the Sunday School Office – or where the coffee is after the Early Service – or . . . (any number of things!)! When people are asked why they come back, they almost always say, “I had a good experience! I wanted to come back, and I did!” Some do, and that is truly a blessing of the Lord. But others don’t!
What can I do to make our visitors – our church guests – comfortable? Begin with the simple steps: Make eye contact. Smile. Shake a hand. Ask their names. If you feel like you are introducing yourself to a long-term member, so what!! Why haven’t you met them before now? You may make a long-tern friend. Do what I, as your pastor, have to do (much more often than I like!), and state the obvious. “I don’t remember your name” is a phrase I use a lot! Take the initiative, because we shouldn’t expect our church guests to do that! They have taken the initiative just to come and worship with us. The Friendship Pads are there for that very reason, to help you learn names!
Some visitors are confused by our worship. Why not sit next to them and guide them through the liturgy? While we try to be “user friendly,” we slip more often than we like!
What a joy it would be to see all of us at Resurrection be a GREETER – because we are! Please keep in mind that Christmas Eve is the most attended day of worship in the Church Year, while Easter Sunday is number two. Reflect on this: the eternal salvation of someone walking through the door of Resurrection for the first time may well rest on YOU!
