Summer is arriving, people are graduating, schools are letting out for summer and people are moving. When people move, both good and bad things happen. The negative part is that wonderful people are transferred or move away.
The positive side is that there are many new people moving into our area. I want us to be aware that there will be new faces showing up in church over the next four months. I invite you to join me in doing whatever you can to make them feel welcome. I hope you will introduce yourself to people, and greet them with a smile and a handshake. I encourage you to invite them to your Sunday School classes and fellowship time.
May I offer a specific suggestion? Take the first five minutes at the end of the worship service and look for people you don’t know. Introduce yourself to these people.
DID YOU KNOW … – 80% of those who become part of a Church do so because they are specifically invited by someone? – People who come to know Christ within an ongoing friendship with another Christian are much more likely to follow through on their commitment to Christ?
The Wisconsin Restaurant Association researched why people did not return to a specific restaurant. They discovered the following: 1% did not return because they died, 3% moved, 5% formed other relationships, 9% preferred a competitor, 14% didn’t like the product, and 68% did not return to that particular restaurant because they felt there was an attitude of neglect and indifference. People respond to churches in similar fashion.
One of the characteristic of God’s people throughout the Bible is the hospitality that they showed. I hope that we will create a warm, welcoming environment. May others sense our joy as they come to worship with us.
Pastor Jim