HELP PROVIDE A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR GUESTS THIS EASTER SUNDAY

Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.  The brethren who are with me greet you.  All the saints greet you, . . .
(Philippians 4:21-22)

On Easter Sunday, April 9, we will welcome many visitors to our worship gathering for the first time. I thank God you welcome visitors with kindness and love each Lord’s Day. Guests take notice and comment on how loving a fellowship is (or is not) by their willingness to welcome newcomers. While we praise God for His work in us that opens our hearts to visitors, sometimes we get so caught up in fellowship with those we know that we may fail to notice visitors. So, let’s continually remind ourselves about the preciousness of others. The following suggestions are just some ways to help our guests feel welcome and at home each Sunday, especially this Easter Sunday.

Leave the parking spaces closest to the entrances for our guests and senior adults. We have marked our guest parking area. We ask that our members honor our guests by leaving these spaces open for visitors. For those who can, we ask that you utilize the farther parking spaces so our senior adults will not have as far to walk. Also, if our parking lot should happen to be wet, it may be slick, so help one another to the building.

Greet everyone you see with a smile, whether you know them or not. From the time you leave your vehicle, greet everyone with a friendly smile and tell them how glad you are to see them. Use the time from the parking lot to the pew to get to know one another.

Introduce yourself to those you don’t know. If you don’t know someone, take the time to greet them and introduce yourself. Make an effort to meet a new person or family each Sunday.  

Assist those who don’t seem to know where they are going. Remember, you may know where everything is, but our guests are unfamiliar with our facilities. Take time to show them around and offer to take them to where they need to go.

Fill the seats at the front of the auditorium first when you enter to worship. We all run behind schedule at times for various reasons. Latecomers and guests do not like to parade before the congregation on their way to a seat. If we fill the seats up front (and scoot toward the middle), visitors and late comers can slip in without walking in front of the entire congregation.

Don’t rush off after the service. Instead, take a few minutes to greet visitors. Thank them for attending our services and invite them to come again. Of course, if you have children being cared for in the nursery or KidsPointe, be sure to pick them up immediately after the conclusion of the service, then return to the auditorium for fellowship.

Bring your guests to the foyer for a gift. We have prepared gift bags for our guests containing information about our church, a free ESV Bible, and other free materials. Gift bags will also be available in the nursery.

Invite visitors to a meal at a restaurant or in your home after the service. One of the best ways to get to know someone is to share a meal together. Practice Christian hospitality by inviting someone to eat lunch with you after worship.

Invite first-time visitors to come back and worship with us again. You will be amazed how much weight a personal invitation carries. Encourage visitors to return and worship with us on a regular Sunday.    

I thank God for you, High Pointe, and the love and fellowship we share with one another. Right or wrong, visitors will form an opinion about our church within the first few minutes after they arrive. Let’s make every effort to make our guests feel welcome through genuine, loving Christian hospitality.

Love,