The welcoming church

A welcoming God

The gospel is about a God who takes the initiative to welcome us (see Luke 15). As his representatives, and those who enjoy the benefits of having been welcomed by him, we now welcome in the same way. Welcoming must therefore be an initiative; it must be sacrificial; it must be a high priority; and it must be an obvious distinctive of our identity and mission. Welcoming is not optional.

Often, we aren't as welcoming as we would like. In part, this can be simply due to the fact that, by definition, the dynamic of our groups will tend to preclude easy infiltration or assimilation. This is important, for most churches think they are friendly and welcoming. It is just possible that the very dynamic of this ‘group think’ actually prejudices us against really being welcoming. Think hard about this.

All the same, most churches want to welcome. If we are serious about it, it will require change and that will usually be painful.

In our congregation, we sat down in front of a whiteboard and wrote ‘WELCOMING’ in the middle. We tried to think laterally, to note strengths and weakness, and their implications. We came up with the following ideas and suggestions, which I thought would be worth sharing.

Be fully integrated

We must be driven by a clear, succinct statement of mission. Our goals, objectives and strategies must be permeated with the concept of welcoming. It won't work if it is something simply tacked on.

In order to fire up the congregation and set the tone, a series of sermons could be preached on the welcoming/assimilating nature of the gospel and church.

Have a clear target

It helps to have a clear target group in the community, making the best match of demographics and resources. In our case, we target 25-50 year olds. One welcoming implication? The parents of children, especially young children, will feel welcome if their kids are well cared for. Therefore, things like kids clubs and Sunday School programs need to be of high standard. Depending on their success, the kids will say either “Let's go back” or “Never again, Mum”.

We need to understand the target group. Many people leave their televisions on when you visit their homes. Understand this and don't complain. What level of education, expectations, fears, family and social practices are we dealing with? Meet them in these things.

What if the people you're trying to reach don't want to sign anything, sing anything or say anything (and many Australians don't)? How can we give a big friendly welcome to someone who probably wants to remain anonymous? Think on this.

More than a handshake

Welcoming is more than what you do in the foyer or at the exchange of the peace. At present, our church is developing a ministry of giving a ‘Welcome to our Community’ pack to those who move into the area. The pack contains things like train and bus timetables, important phone numbers, cheap stores and information about our church activities.

Impressions are important

What do newcomers see and feel as they arrive and enter the church? We asked a group to approach our church premises as though for the first time, detailing friendliness impressions. This included car-parking, signs, lighting, tidiness, information about where things are, etc. We did several things as a result: opened our foyer, put in parking signs and added exterior lighting. Are the toilets always clean? Are the creche and crying room tidy and comfortable?

Form a team

A welcoming team must be formed. This is their primary ministry, and responsibility must have equal authority. Let them do it but stay in touch. Train them, provoke their thinking and innovation. Send them to somewhere alien (i.e., TAB, Pub, synagogue, races) and ask them to report on insights gained.

Communication

Communicate always. It's important to tell the rest of the church what is happening and to enthuse them with the possibilities. Don't chastise too much. Celebrate progress and success. Get newcomers to testify about how they felt when they first came. What hindered or helped their sense of welcome?

I hope these ideas help some and encourage all to either get started or keep going.