By Deacon Jessica Noonan (she/her), Executive Director at LEAD

Last year I visited a congregation I had never been to before and the only person who talked to me was the pastor. People definitely noticed that I was not “one of them” but no one bothered to ask me my name or if I had questions. It didn’t hurt my feelings because I have a home congregation and I was not there looking for a faith community. But, what if I was seeking a place to belong? Would you go back to that church?

I want to make this clear – your pastor is NOT the official greeter of your congregation. Pastors/Priests/Deacons come and go. The people of the congregation are part of a faith community for years, sometimes decades – every person is tasked with welcoming and greeting. Every person. 

As we get closer to Holy Week, when all churches have a higher number of guests, how will you prepare to welcome?

Ask yourselves these questions:

• Are regular worshippers encouraged to intentionally greet people they don’t recognize? You can start a conversation with, “Hi, welcome! I don’t know if we have met before. My name is….” This avoids making someone who is new or hasn’t been to worship in awhile feel like an outsider.
• Should you have parking lot greeters? Maybe due to the uniqueness of your campus, having a couple people welcome and direct them to where they want to go would maximize their experience.
• Do you have official greeters every Sunday? They can be stationed at the main entrances of your building. This is a great service opportunity for EVERY age!

Do you create opportunities for conversation? Accessible space with light snacks and beverages where people can meet one another and begin to build relationships.