Little Things

I have decided to call this past year of attending worship, "The Year of the Visitor."  In all my years of church going, I have never been to so many different churches in such a short span of time.  Twelve different churches in four different denonominational groups make up my record.  I have made an effort not to identify myself as an ordained person in the early part of any visit as the ordained and the unordained get treated differently.  At least such as been my experience in "The Year of the Visitor."   As a pastor of many churches, I always told folks it is important how visitors are treated and now I can offer a perspective from the pews.     

First, as a visitor, it really is important to have someone speak to you.  To be in a room full of people and not have anyone speak to you means leaving with such an empty feeling that going back for a second round is unlikely.  This is not a hard nut to crack.  All of us are creatures of habit.  Even in worship we sit in the same place.  A quick look around our area to see who is not usually present and then going to speak takes care of an important issue for any visitor.  What is one of the most important things to learn about the visitor from the conversation?  It is simple.  Their name.  Remember it and use it.    

A second suggestion really goes hand in hand with the first. The second suggestion is to be aware of surroundings.  This morning as I was leaving one of those twelve churches, some folks started waving to us from the sidewalk as we were driving away.  Their waving was so enthusiastic, I started to stop and speak thinking that surely I knew them.  But, I kept going and as I drove away, I remembered that I parked in the parking spot reserved for visitors.  I had forgotten, but the wavers on the sidewalk noticed and did their part to help increase my welcome quotient.  In my "Year of the Visitor,"  I have noticed that little things matter!