Welcoming Tips

A welcoming church is a powerful expression of the grace of God. We preach the gospel of God’s grace at St Phils and St Marks and we aim to back this up with a genuinely welcoming experience to all who visit us on Sundays. Each of us can help make our church a friendly and welcoming community. The following practical “Tips” are designed to help us to do this.

1. Wear a name tag every week

Names are important! When someone knows our name, it gives us a better opportunity to make a connection. And how do you feel when someone remembers your name the next time they see you?! Names are personal, and they are part of our identity.

At St Phil's we are committed to helping people feel comfortable and cared for every week, especially if they are visiting us. This is why we would love to encourage every person - regulars, visitors, adults, children - to wear a name tag every week. We have name tag stickers and pens at the door for everyone to use each week. But you may also have a name tag already that you prefer to wear each week. Please do wear it!

And for some final encouragement, here are three top reasons why name tags can help:

It says to each other "I don't mind if you know my name, and I'd be happy to talk with you."
It can prevent embarrassment when people forget our names. (Whether your visitor or a long term regular, it happens to many of us!)
Name tags recognises us as a part of a bigger family.They include everyone, of all ages, of all languages, and all congregations.

At St Phil's, every person is a part of the welcoming team, every week and at every service.

What else can we do to help welcome people in the best possible way?

2. Be a friendly person

One friendly person makes a big difference to the experience of a visitor to our church. A church can have the best, most efficient welcoming strategy but unless a visitor encounters a friendly person they will not feel welcome and will be unlikely to come back next week. Conversely, a church may have no “welcoming” strategy in place, but a friendly interaction with someone will make them feel welcome. Don’t just leave welcoming to the rostered “welcomers”.

We welcome visitors to St Phil’s because God welcomes us in Christ Jesus. Our welcome is a practical demonstration of the love of God. Our welcome backs up the gospel we preach (and sadly a lack of welcome undercuts this gospel).

Some practical advice on how to be a friendly person at church:

Wear a name tag (see last week’s tip).
Smile - even with our masks we smile with our eyes.
Arrive at church early - 15 minutes before the service starts is a good rule. Visitors often arrive early.
Keep watch for visitors and relative newcomers - say hello and then sit with them during the service if this seems “natural”.
Stick with them after the service - ask if they would like to stay for morning tea or supper if this is happening, but at the least, walk out of church with them aim to introduce them to one or two other people.
Don’t “overwhelm” people. Be sensitive to their needs and their situation.
Remember the name of the person you welcomed and make sure you are available next Sunday to “follow up” on your first interaction.

The final piece of advice is really important: Be yourself. You don’t have to be an extrovert to offer a friendly welcome. You can make a difference to visitors and relative newcomers’ experience of church by taking a genuine interest in them and caring for them.

3. Avoid cliques

Church and cliques do not mix. The Apostle Paul reminds us that “in Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

Cliques are sub-groups who know each other well and preferably interact with one another at church to the exclusion of others. Cliques undermine the profound unity we have in Jesus and cliques make churches extremely unwelcoming. Imagine you introduce yourself to a visitor and then turn your back on them to talk to your friend. That feels like a hurtful rejection. Cliques exclude and isolate others.

Here are some practical tips to avoid cliques:

Catch up with your friends at other times - don’t use church as a chance for detailed catch-ups.
Decide before you come to church that you will talk to someone you don’t know well.
Take an interest in people who are not your “natural” peers - God has put us together in fellowship for mutual encouragement and enrichment.
Set a goal to talk to one person you do not know well (either a visitor or a long term member) each Sunday.
Don’t “disappear” with your friends after church and leave newcomers to their own devices.
Talk with your church friends about how your “group” can be open to new people - pray for God’s help and see welcoming people as an important ministry that your group can share.

Bottom line: don’t be part of a clique at church. Do whatever you can to break down the barriers to relationships that cliques build. Reach out to others and serve them by including them in our church. God’s people are open, inclusive and welcoming, not closed, “cliquey” and exclusive. We are ALL one in Christ Jesus.

4. Follow through & Follow up

God is not in the business of shallow, short term relationships. He invites us to know and love him for eternity. Our task as the people of God is to model genuine, long term relationships in our church. That’s why follow through and follow up are important. After we have had a friendly conversation with a newcomer one Sunday - we need to make sure we can continue to welcome them next week.

Practical tips to help us follow through/follow up next Sunday:

Attend the same service next Sunday, arrive early and wait to welcome and sit with the person you met last week (we will call him John)
After the service talk to John - don’t leave him alone while you catch up with some friends.
Introduce John to a couple of other people and make sure he is included in conversations.
Make sure he knows about Sunday “procedures” - e.g. if he has children with him let him know how the Sunday children’s ministry works, where the creche is etc. Don’t assume he has figured this out for himself.
Give him a chance to ask any questions about church and how it works. At some stage introduce him to a member of staff but don’t ‘hand him over” to them.
On week 3, plan to meet up during the week if this is possible (COVID regulations, work commitments etc. permitting). Meeting for coffee can work well.
If you are in a position to offer hospitality, invite John home for a simple lunch one Sunday - a “gourmet” meal can be a bit threatening. Hospitality is simply opening your home to others - it is not putting on a show. Sharing a cuppa in your kitchen is a great way to firm up a friendship.
Discuss with John what the next step could be on his “journey” toward integration into our church family. Options include a one on one investigative Bible study, joining a growth group or a Christianity explored course. Don’t have a set “plan” in mind - each person’s situation and needs are different. You might need to ask a staff member what is available.

All of this should be a natural expression of the love of God and the welcome we have experienced as we trusted Jesus. Remember - welcoming ministry is one we all share. One friendly person who follows through with friendship makes a big difference. With God’s help, you and I can be that person.