News from Metropolitan Community Church of Austin

But it's the third one that really gets me. "When God entrusts you with first-time visitors..." Have you ever thought about it in just this way? Think of what it takes to get people to church for the first time. There are always competing activities, often much baggage to be unloaded, sometimes partners or children to coerce, habits to be overcome, fears to be overcome... When people walk through our doors for the first time, are we ever thinking about what it really means? Are we thinking "God has moved in this person's life, and he's here seeking an experience with Christ and community. Now it's up to me." Or do we think "This person is here seeking a new church home because she's experienced the love of Christ and community in another church. I want her to find that same experience here."

I don't think so. I think our overwhelming thought on encountering an unfamiliar face is "I will be mortified if I ask that person if he's visiting, and he tells me he's been coming for years." (For those of you who think the pastor is immune to such things, how would I know what you're thinking if I hadn't thought the same thing myself?)

Beginning this weekend, you'll start to notice some subtle changes and a few new areas of emphasis regarding visitors in our worship services. See if there aren't a few of these you can commit to either formally or informally.

1. Prepare for guests. Visualization is a great tool. Imagine yourself seeing a guest in the hallway before church or imagine sitting next to someone whom you don't recognize. Come up with an approach that you can use without feeling forced or self-conscious. It's always good to start with your name as an invitation for the other person to offer her name.
2. Help guests blend in. Scientists say that the fear of speaking in public ranks higher for most people than fear of death. Most guests really don't want to stand out or be fussed over. They'd like to know that they're going to do what everyone else is doing at the same time they're doing it. We've gone back to Connection Cards so that everyone--guests, members, staff--are all filling out their information at the same time for the same reason. Please help us out by filling yours out every week.
3. Post signs.

It's hard for me to remember that even though it's a compact floor plan, to a first time visitor, our building is hard to navigate. If you need to get to a bathroom or the kitchen, the important thing is not how big the bathroom and kitchen are or how far you walk to get there. The important thing is knowing how to get there, even if you're afraid to ask. We've got all kinds of signs on order to help with that. If a guest does have the nerve to ask for directions, please offer to take him there yourself instead of simply pointing around the corner.
4. Connect.

The staff and welcoming teams will take responsibility for following up with our guests via email and regular mail. (If we get their information, which we are more likely to get when our guests submit to the gentle peer pressure of seeing that everyone is filling out Connection Cards.) We need you to help start the follow-up process right away. Research tells us that if guests don't make friends and start forming relationships within the first four months, they'll be gone in six. If you belong to a ministry, affinity group, circle of friends, anything at all, offer an invitation. Or here's a nice approach. The person at the Wendy's drive-up window near our house always says before I drive off, "See you tomorrow!" I think that's pretty smart. How about a "See you next Sunday!"

A few weeks ago I shared with you that research suggests that members of a church are just as intimidated by unfamiliar visitors as visitors are by unfamiliar members. The number of members in relation to the number of visitors has nothing to do with it.

If you Texans would rather wrestle a rattlesnake on a fire ant hill than greet visitors, remember this: God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind ~ 2 Timothy 1:7.

So now, repeat after me: "Welcome, y'all!"

Rev. Karen Thompson