Over supper a friend told me about going into a specialty store with the intent to buy a very expensive item. However, the shop owner was neither friendly or helpful. He said, “It almost seemed like I was bothering him by even being in his store!” Guess what happened next? My friend went and spent several thousand dollars in someone else’s store instead!
I eat out at one restaurant because the staff is exceptionally friendly. Their food is not superior in any way to others of the same brand but their friendliness is. We all want to be around people who show that they want us to be around! Whether that is a department store or a dry cleaners ... or a church! No amount of good singing, good preaching or good programs will overcome a cool reception of visitors. They will look for somewhere else to worship. There just is no excuse for a church that is not friendly!
Every service team has the responsibility to function as church greeters one week a month. Every team is assigned a week. The first week of each month is Service Team One. Week two is for Service Team Two, etc.
This is an opportunity for the whole church to do something very important for the Maysville church. Every service gives the opportunity for visitors to be with us at Maysville. We WANT to MEET them. We want to WELCOME them to our services. And we want them to be greeted so warmly and kindly that they want to come back again!
Over the years I have heard brethren comment about having visited churches where they were surrounded by folks who made them feel welcome. We want that experience to be something that happens at Maysville.
What can I do?
LOOK for visitors! Whether it is your week or not, get in the habit of LOOKING for faces you don’t know.
TALK to them! Say hello. Welcome them to services.
Invite them to sit with you during worship. Often they will decline but sometimes they will accept.
No church will EVER grow numerically that does not put out a SPECIFIC EFFORT to be friendly to strangers. Lots of people wonder, “what can I do to help the church grow?” Well, here is something YOU can do to help YOUR church to GROW! “A man who has friends must himself be friendly,” (Prov 18:24) .
- Tim Orbison
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