One interesting statistic I’ve discovered through my research and reading on church dynamics is that most people who are new to a church make up their mind about that church before the preacher ever starts talking. We tend to think that the sermon is the biggest factor in someone making a decision about attending church. In some ways that is true. But for most people, they will either be receptive to the sermon or completely turned off way before it starts.

       Most guests visiting our church will decide how they feel about our church before they ever even get into the sanctuary. I’m not sure how fair that is, but it’s true. How they’re greeted at the door, how the nursery workers handle the transition of their kids, and how organized the FCC Kids room is at drop off will all determine how they feel about our church. 

       Most people who don’t regularly go to church come with walls in place. They don’t go to church for a reason. The thing that destroys these walls, fair or not, isn’t the sermon. It’s all the little things along the way. The way we welcome, love on, and present ourselves to guests shapes how they feel about that experience.

       Our mission is to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5). Our mission is to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28). We reach the lost when we go out of our way to be welcoming, loving, professional, and receptive when they show up.

       Thank you. Thank you for being welcoming and kind to our guests who show up on Sunday. Thank you for being professional and attentive to the unchurched who walk in our door for the first time in years. Thank you for helping our church reach the lost by volunteering to help. Thank you! We couldn’t accomplish our mission as a church without you.