LET’S BE MORE FRIENDLY

Dr. Win Arn has done numerous surveys and studies in the field of church growth. In one survey 8,600 people stated that "loving churches attract more people regardless of other factors."

Just this past Sunday I was talking to a couple who were former members of this congregation. They related to me that when they moved here they attended services here several times and no one talked with them, greeted them, or sought to make them feel welcomed. They were about to go elsewhere, but someone caught them just in time and visited with them and welcomed them.

That experience illustrates how easy it is to let prospects, or members who are looking for a church home simply slip through our fingers. We may think we are a friendly congregation. We appear to be! People hang around and talk, but what is happening? We talk to ourselves. We visit and enjoy the company of those we know. We can get so caught up in enjoyable conversation with one another that our visitors, prospects, those looking for a church family can move among us without even one greeting, much less conversation. They go home, and their impression was "what a cold bunch." Somehow we must stop this! To do so may require some sacrifices of time with our friends. We must be alert and aware of what is going on about us. Make yourself a committee of one to assure that you will greet and welcome every visitor you see.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do I speak warmly to strangers at church, or do I pass them by to quickly get to my friends?
• Do I look for visitors in Bible class so I can make them feel welcomed?
• Do I ever invite a visitor to go out to lunch or to my home for fellowship?
• Is is important to me that guests feel at ease in church?
• Do I sit by a stranger so he or she will not feel alone?
• Do I introduce visitors to elders or to the preacher?
• Do I show an interest in where they are from, their family, what they do, etc.?
• Do I take time to walk them to their car?

Remember you don’t have a second opportunity to make a good first impression. We have some in our congregation who try to look out for visitors. May their tribe increase! We may worship scripturally, preach biblically, but what a tragedy if we don’t make what we are doing effective by being a warm, loving, reaching, appealing church. Think about it!

Clarence DeLoach