Call Me Surprised

Some churches go to great efforts to encourage their visitors to return for another visit.  I remember one church which took a fresh loaf of baked bread to Sunday visitors on Sunday or Monday evening.  Another took a jar of honey and still another a fresh baked pie.  At the St John Church in Columbus we had a group of people who were Parking Lot Greeters.  They were out there greeting everyone, but especially alert to help visitors feel comfortable.  At the Richmond Hill Church we had visitor parking places near the front door so that it was just a few steps from the car to the front door of the church.  The problem with the parking place ministry was that it encouraged some folks to maintain visitor status instead of seeking  membership!    

There are more ideas and gimmicks than could possible be mentioned within the brief space of this blog.  Over the year I came to believe that the most important element of any ministry to new people were the people who sat in the pews.  Visitors did not always like treatment so special that they had to stand up and do a jig, but they did appreciate the greeting they received from the folks around them.   

Another thing discovered is that folks expected a visit from the pastor or staff, but were pleased and surprised when some lay person took the effort to make a welcoming contact with them.  Of course, I may be talking about a ministry that no longer exists.  In my day it was all about personal contact with folks.  It was about the kind of contact that enabled people to actually be in each other's presence.  Maybe it is true today that it is more about some impersonal internet connection that passes for being personal.  It just always seemed to me that nothing could take the place of one person reaching out in a personal way to another.  Maybe I am old fashioned.  Maybe there is a better way.  If so, call me surprised.