Over dinner this weekend, I heard this story first hand.
I had only been a Christian for six months. Six years ago, we moved from Texas to Richmond and began to look for a Spanish language church. I didn’t find any for a few weeks, so my wife and I decided to attend an English language congregation.
We arrived and sat down in the pews, clearly the stranger. We didn’t speak English at the time, so we really had no clue as to what was happening. However, after hurch, all the people left. We stood around, and guess what?
No one talked to us.
Welcoming the stranger
Part of the responsibility of every church is to welcome the visitor in their midst. It’s a no-brainer. Most churches say they do it, but my friend’s story above reminds me that we may think we are friendly, but only with each other.
My friend only remembers that church from six years ago, because no one talked to him. I wasn’t surprised, because I’ve had similar experiences when I visited churches.
Learn more:
Check out How To Welcome Church Visitors, my downloadable ebook for purchase. This story, plus several others are included to help you improve your 1st impressions for first time visitors.
Let me ask you this?
When you notice a stranger in your congregation, do you move to welcome them? Do you go beyond a handshake and “God bless you” and engage in conversation?
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[...] are just a few phrases that anyone can use to help a Spanish speaking guest feel welcome. (See No One Said Hello for a Spanish speaking visitor who didn’t feel [...]