The View from the Pulpit:
Dear People of God,
GRACE AND PEACE TO YOU ALL, as we journey together during this Holy Season of Lent!
“You Are A Greeter, Too!”
Remember the first time you worshiped at Resurrection? I do. Maybe I was different, because I had a ‘tour guide’ – it was the late Richard Hellbaum, who gave me a most thorough tour! Most first time worship guests at Resurrection, however, are not so lucky – they do not have a tour guide. There are hesitations about where to sit in the Sanctuary, what the bulletin is and does, the Holy Communion distribution procedure, the location of the restrooms – or the church nursery – or the Sunday School Office Area – or where the coffee is after the Early Service – or any number of things! When people are asked “why” they come back, they almost always say, “I had a good experience! I wanted to come back, and I did!” Some do, and that is truly a blessing of the Lord. But others don’t! WHY? The two most numerous complaints are (1) they were left standing BY THEMSELVES in the Fellowship Hall, and (2) no one spoke to them, before, during or after the worship services. Resurrection knows this applies to us as these are the two most complaints listed on the survey we send out to all our 1st-time guests.
What can I do to make our visitors – our church guests – comfortable? Begin with the simple steps: Make eye contact. Smile. Shake a hand. Ask their names. Engage them in conversation. If you feel like you are introducing yourself to a long-term member, so what!! Why haven’t you met them before now? You may make a long-tern friend. Do what I, as your pastor, have to do (much more often than I like!), and state the obvious. “I don’t remember your name” is a phrase I use a lot! Take the initiative, because we shouldn’t expect our church guests to do that! They have taken the initiative just to come through the doors of Resurrection. The Friendship Pads are there for that very reason, to help you learn names!
Some visitors are confused by our worship. Why not sit next to them and guide them through the liturgy? While we try to be “user friendly,” we slip more often than we like!
Reflect on this: the eternal salvation of someone walking through the door of Resurrection for the first time may well rest on YOU and your contact with them! The Lenten and Easter-tide does bring more new faces into our worship times. What a joy it would be for all at Resurrection to realize that we are ALL GREETERS! May God bless our efforts to live and show His great love for all!
Your Fellow ‘Greeter,’ in Christ Jesus Our Lord! Pastor Hank Hollar
