Closing the back door

One of the greatest gifts of our new building is how it has truly opened the front door to so many more people in our community. We are so blessed that God is bringing new faces and new personalities to be a part of our church!

For me, the biggest challenge in our new reality is understanding how to welcome these new folks effectively and help them connect to our congregation. I've recently signed up for a coaching network with Nelson Searcy, lead pastor at Journey Church. Nelson has a great gift for teaching churches to structure for growth.

This month, our learning is about "assimilation" -- not necessarily my favorite word, but very descriptive. I'm learning that it is hardest to earn that first visit from a guest (also learning that we need to be intentional about welcoming them as we would welcome a guest in our home). The next hardest task is to earn a return visit. Then, you have to help them want to become a regular attender. At this point, they either get connected in a small group and form relationships -- or they don't. If they don't, it is nearly impossible to help them see the benefits of membership.

I'm learning about some specific ways we can welcome our guests and help them feel the love of Christ. What I've already known is that every person or family that visits our church has made a very important choice to be there. They have chosen NOT to do something else so they could join us -- that is just the reality of the world we live in. And -- most of them are seeking a touch from God, deliberately seeking. What a gift! I want to lead us to honor this gift more intentionally and nurture more people into a life-changing faith than ever before.

More on this as I learn...Charla