I hear this all the time. “North Heights is a welcoming group of people who strive to make you feel a part of the group.” All I can say is… “Yes, you are right.” And we are happy to be this way.
We want people to feel welcome when they walk in, and we want them to feel as if this is a place of safety and belonging.
Let me take a moment to remind you of a few strategies to implement to continue to be a welcoming church.
- Pray for your visitors before they drive up on the parking lot. Pray for their families, their jobs, their passions. Pray God will open their hearts, and he will use you to make a difference in their lives. Pray that they will see Jesus through you and that they will be encouraged to learn more about Him. Pray they will give themselves over to him. Pray God will deliver new families to us all the time. Let’s pray God will give us 10 new families this year and when He does, let’s pray for 20 more.
- Intentionally sit by someone you don’t know. We all have our habitual seats in the auditorium, and it’s hard to break habits. But as challenging as it might be, look for new people to sit by and have a conversation with them. They might be long-time members here, but they also might be visitors, and when you talk to them, you will get to know them better no matter the case.
- When you meet a visitor, introduce them to other people in the congregation. Walk up to another member and say, “Have you met, Ted? He is visiting with us today. He has his wife and children here, and they are looking for a church home. He works at Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, and she works at Vance Refrigeration.” Having a conversation with someone to get to know them and bringing others into the conversation is one of the best ways to make people feel welcome and show that you care about them and their lives.
- Ask them to eat lunch with you after services. Take them to Dairy Queen, Coltons, or Hawg’s for some fried fish. Show them that you love them. This is quality time spent outside of the worship environment. It helps bring the intimidation levels down and helps everyone relax. Everyone loves food, and food brings about fellowship, and fellowship feeds into our faith.
We can and need to do these things here at North Heights. Our ability to welcome visitors is crucial to the growth of the Lord’s church. Will you help in this endeavor to be a welcoming church?
I love you,
Alex