A Warm Welcome

Part of the Leading your Church into Growth initiative that we’ve been exploring involves a challenge to carefully examine the nature of our welcome. There is much we can take for granted about our church building and the way we do things – the culture that most of us don’t even notice because it is all so familiar.

But what does all this look like for someone who has been passing the door and trying to summon up the courage to come in? What do our noticeboards communicate – what is the entrance area like; is it all attractive and exuding a message of welcome and warmth?

So often our noticeboards can be tatty, cluttered and sometimes out of date and stuff gets left lying around the place sometimes for years not just months. We must try to make our premises as homely as possible and make sure that the things left out are there for a good reason and that the key pieces of communication are most prominent.

In his recent paper about Missional Trends, Phil Knox of the Evangelical Alliance urges us to have our eyes and hearts open in what seems to be a ripe season when people in the UK are interested in finding out about faith in Jesus:

 “Are we ready to welcome people who are searching? Are we prepared to connect with people who walk through our doors? People come to church for many reasons, but they will stay because of relationship. In this season, as people encounter Jesus and search for truth, are our communities of faith ready to journey with people towards the way, the truth and the life?”

As we explore ways in which we can grow as a church - in number, in spiritual depth, and in missional breadth - we must look carefully at how we can better offer a warm and genuine welcome to those who venture through the doors. In both congregations I lead we have seen new faces and people showing interest in the faith. Making friendships and getting involved in community life are keys to those folk feeling at home and getting more deeply involved.

Please let’s not take anything for granted – let’s be alert to the needs of new people in our community and do all we can to help them feel at home and begin to belong. Often it seems that for many folk belonging comes before believing.

I find it hard to believe that its 12 years now since I was inducted as minister for the IoW URC Group and became pastor of the congregation at Ryde (and Freshwater for several years until they sadly closed). We have journeyed on as partner churches and I thank you all for the way you have supported me as I have sought to serve our friends 8 miles to the north. May we continue to have a Kingdom mindset and invest in God’s work across the Island and beyond. We can make others at a distance and watching online feel valued and even welcomed because of our love and attitudes shown in action.

May the Lord richly bless us in this new season of opportunity.

In His Grip.