How to Act in Church on Easter and Every Sunday

Dear Friends,

With Easter coming up, we can expect a much larger influx of people than we might normally expect. This is a great opportunity for us to reach out to new visitors, so with this in mind, I wanted to share some thoughts with you about how you can be one of our greeters this and every Sunday. You don’t have to wear a badge to be an official greeter, you just have to have a heart for loving people, and as believers we all qualify. I am indebted to Thom Ranier’s website for much of the information below.

Leadership requires initiative. Healthy relationships require initiative. An attender without initiative will struggle to make friends and feed sheep. In John 21, Jesus gives Peter the three-fold command to “Feed my sheep.” The context of this command is the question of love.  The question is, do you love Jesus? If you do, you will take the initiative to feed his sheep. This is not just the role of the pastor, however, it is the role of each one of us. You must get to know the sheep before you or anyone can feed them, so hear are few ideas as to how to do this, not just on Easter but on every Sunday.

When you don’t know someone, introduce yourself. Wallflowers are not leaders. Take every opportunity to make an introduction with someone you do not know.

Don’t wait for others to invite you to a meal. You should reach out to people. Invite them to Sunday lunches with your family. Have members over for dinner at your home once or twice a month. Meet key leaders for early coffee or breakfast before work. Don’t have an agenda at these meals. Simply get to know people. It will build relational capital. More importantly, it’s biblical. Some of the most wonderful times I have had in ministry are the times I have meet with visitors for breakfast or lunch. Meals are a wonderful time to get to know one another, so why not think about regularly scheduling such times to meet and make new friends.

Be the main greeter before and after worship services. Worship services are the perfect opportunities to build relationships. The majority of the church tends to be on campus for worship. Handshakes, hugs, and smiles are quick but powerful reminders that you care for people. If you don’t know how to do this, watch Bill Roberts or Dave Furniss or Dick Haines or the Marcantonio’s or a number of others in the church who model what it means to be a “welcoming witness.”

Take people with you to the Family Ministry Center. Don’t send them take them, but before you do first stop at the Welcome Center, so your new friends can pick up a Welcome Bag. Encourage them to fill out a visitor card, if they haven’t already done so. Then, go with them to the FMC. Introduce them to others, and make sure they are never left alone. Encourage others to speak to them as well.

Look for opportunities to pray for people. When you are talking with someone, be a good listener. Listen not only to the words, but the feelings underlying their words. If you sense a need, ask the person if they would mind if you prayed for them. Pastors aren’t the only ones who should pray for people. Each of us in the body of Christ should be looking for opportunities to pray with and for one another. And then remember to pray for them during the week, and when you do, take the extra ten seconds to tell them!  Text them or e-mail them or even call them and let them know that you had just prayed for them and you wondered how they were doing. Your initiative could brighten their day at just the right moment of need.   

Hand-write thank you notes. Take time to write a few notes a week to people you meet. There is nothing like a personal hand written note to communicate your care and concern. I treasure the notes I have received from people over the years, and some of them are taped within my Bible. To love Jesus is to feed His sheep. This effort takes initiative, especially within the context of relationships in the church.

New Monmouth family, let’s love on people this and every Sunday. Your love may be the very expression that unlocks one’s heart to the entrance of the Savior, and nothing could be more exciting than that.

Yours in the joy of Easter,

Pastor Tom