I saw this post that was shared by several of my friends on Facebook: “My husband has three rules of engagement when we go to church. 1. An alone person in our gathering is an emergency. 2. Friends can wait. 3. Introduce a newcomer to someone else. Let’s all be missionaries at church today!” It can be a scary thing to visit a church where you do not know anyone. What will it be like, where do I sit, where are the restrooms? There is nothing like finding a friendly person to answer our questions and help us out. How can we, as the church in Huntingdon, be a warm, friendly congregation?
First, we need to look for those who are alone. Loneliness is a big problem in our world. I need to look around and find those who do not have anyone they are sitting with or talking to. Ask questions about them. You might find you have something in common with them. Use that information to talk with them the next week (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
If I am going to follow the first rule, I will have to follow the second rule. It is easy to talk to and visit friends and family. If we really want to be a friendly church, not one that is just friendly to each other, then we have to go beyond our people. It is not as easy and can be a little scary to talk to those we do not know as well, but we just might find a new friend and make an eternal difference.
Lastly, when you talk to new folks, go beyond “Hi” or “How are you?” Where do you live? Where do you work? What grades are your kids in? Use that information to connect them to others. Sister so-and-so lives on that road, and introduce them. Brother so-and-so works there, and introduce them. This is the so-and-so family, and their daughter is in that grade.
The important point is that we are missionaries, and one of those mission fields just might be our assemblies.
Comments