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It is no secret that a good welcoming ministry is a fundamental element
in church growth. It can be daunting for people to step into a new
church environment, particularly when they are not connected to
anyone, or haven’t been to many, or even any, services in the past.
Romans 15:7 states, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ
has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”, serving as a clear reminder
about the welcoming nature of Christ.
There are many ways in which we can foster a warmth that makes
others feel at home in our churches as soon as they walk through the
door. However, it can be easy to forget that the welcoming ministry
should extend long after the first hymn. In fact, in my experience, I have
found that the most important part of making people feel welcomed
doesn’t occur until much later.
Over the past few years, I have been to many churches supporting
Fr Tom and Wendy Hall promoting the Bush Ministry Fund. Through
this I have observed numerous different welcoming ministries, and
experienced first-hand the different ways in which churches approach
new people. Whilst I have often felt warmth in the large majority of
churches from the moment that I walk through the doors, unfortunately
I have watched wonderful initial intentions fall flat by the end of services,
as the continuation of that initial greeting is forgotten, or simply ignored.
In psychology, there is a theory developed by Nobel prize winning
psychologist, Daniel Kahneman, called the Peak-End rule. This rule
implies that people judge an experience based on how they feel at
the peak (or the most intense point) and at the end. There are even
studies that show that people prefer to expose themselves to a
longer period of discomfort if the end result is them feeling less pain.
For example, would you sit through a concert you are not enjoying
for longer if you knew it was going to end with your favourite piece,
rather than walk out half way through? Even though you are essentially
exposing yourself to a longer period of displeasure, you would find
the experience less frustrating if it ended exceptionally.
We can apply this same principle to church growth.
Making people feel as though they are welcome and cared about
consists of more than a friendly smile and polite small talk at the
entrance. Applying this peak end rule highlights the importance of how
people feel at the end of the service. How many times have you seen
new people walk out of a service without anyone talking to them, or
without being supported in making connections with anyone? Sure,
there is often an general invitation to a morning tea, but I think many
would agree that taking a more personal approach to the situation is
far more powerful. Ask many non-regular church goers about their
most memorable experience at church, and you will find that it is what
happens at the end of the service that often stays with them – that
time they received simnel cake at the door, or were introduced to a
person with similar interests while having a cup of tea. In essence,
it is not just about how we make others feel at the beginning of a
service, but rather their experience at the end.
Being rostered on to welcome should not finish when the service
begins. And not being rostered on at all should not be a reason to
forgo the responsibility of each and every one of us who follow by
Jesus’ to stand back and let others open their arms to every person
who walks through the doors. We all have a responsibility to be
witnesses of Christ’s incredible love, which means showing genuine
care. After all, Jesus died for us so that we may be welcomed into
the presence of God.
Mother Teresa once said, “Spread love everywhere you go: First of
all in your own house… let no one ever come to you without leaving
better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness;
kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile,
kindness in your warm greeting.”
Let us be mindful of allowing the warmth from the spark during
the initial greeting to grow into a fire that every single person feels
by the time they leave, spreading the glorious heat of Christs’ love
in this world.
Elizabeth Eldridge
Brisbane
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FOCUS | February/March 2017 | 3