Becoming a Welcoming Church
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Guests visiting a church have a surprisingly different experience than those who attend. Regular attendees and members perceive their church to be very friendly because they made the church their home. However, guests often feel alone, as if they crashed someone else's party. In this message, we will look at several key scriptures concerning hospitality and serving others. Pastor Steve will also draw several key quotes from Thom Rainer's "Becoming a Welcoming Church." We will explore three practical steps that we can take to become more welcoming and engaging.
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Becoming a Welcoming Church
- 1. Becoming a Welcoming Church
- 2. Becoming a Welcoming Church Thom Rainer Seven out of ten guests will go to a church website as a determinative factor in where they will choose to visit .
- 3. Becoming a Welcoming Church
- 4. Becoming a Welcoming Church First Point A Welcoming Church understands the importance of…
- 5. Becoming a Welcoming Church The Holy Huddle is NOT bad! They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42 NASB)
- 6. Becoming a Welcoming Church Thom Rainer Churches perceive they are a friendly church because the members are friendly to one another.
- 7. Becoming a Welcoming Church Thom Rainer The vast majority of guests feel like they are intruding on a party to which they were not invited.
- 8. Becoming a Welcoming Church Thom Rainer The Worst Part of the Guest Experience Takes Place Right before the Worship Service Begins
- 9. Becoming a Welcoming Church Matthew 5 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
- 10. Becoming a Welcoming Church Matthew 5 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
- 11. Becoming a Welcoming Church Second Point ServeOthers A Welcoming Church exists primarily to serve God and
- 12. Becoming a Welcoming Church Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- 13. Becoming a Welcoming Church Thom Rainer The welcoming church is more of an attitude or disposition. It represents the mind-set of an outward focus rather than an inward focus. It is about serving rather than being served.
- 14. Becoming a Welcoming Church The inward-focused church sees worship as something for themselves. The outward- focused church sees worship as something to attract the lost. Wes McAdams Radically Christian
- 15. Becoming a Welcoming Church Philippians 2 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
- 16. Becoming a Welcoming Church Third Point A Welcoming Church is a Going Church
- 17. Becoming a Welcoming Church If you build it, they will come
- 18. Becoming a Welcoming Church Mark 16:15 And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
- 19. Becoming a Welcoming Church Thom Rainer Welcoming means going… The welcoming church is not merely a church that waits for the world to arrive at the physical address of the congregation.
- 20. Becoming a Welcoming Church Hebrews 13:1 Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
- 21. Becoming a Welcoming Church
Editor's Notes
- Seven out of ten guests will go to a church website as a determinative factor in where they will choose to visit. It is amazing how many church websites don’t have the address of the church, or the service times. We have designed our website with visitors in mind, and we are continually looking for better ways to engage people who are looking for a church. Why are we going through all this effort? We’re doing it for this guy. .
- First Point A Welcoming Church understands the importance of Breaking Up the Holy Huddle The holy huddle takes place when members talk to other members they know without acknowledging the people they don’t know. Rainer, Thom S.. Becoming a Welcoming Church (Kindle Locations 349-351). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
- The Holy Huddle is NOT bad, in and of itself. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42 NASB)
- Thom Rainer Churches perceive they are a friendly church because the members are friendly to one another.
- Thom Rainer The vast majority of guests feel like they are intruding on a party to which they were not invited.
- The Worst Part of the Guest Experience Takes Place Right before the Worship Service Begins “We really had an overall good experience. But, there was one part that just was not that good. It was the nine to ten minutes after we sat down in the worship center and before the services started. No one spoke to us. No one sat by us. No one even acknowledged us. It was really uncomfortable until the service began.” That, in essence, is one of the surprises we heard from guests. Even in incredible churches, very few members make the effort to greet and speak to someone already seated before the service begins. And, frankly, most church members don’t ever go sit with guests. Rainer, Thom S.. Becoming a Welcoming Church (Kindle Locations 322-324). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
- Matthew 5 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
- 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
- Second Point A Welcoming Church exists primarily to serve others.
- Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- The welcoming church is more of an attitude or disposition. It represents the mind-set of an outward focus rather than an inward focus. It is about serving rather than being served.
- The inward-focused church sees worship as something for themselves. The outward-focused church sees worship as something to attract the lost.
- Philippians 2 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
- Third Point A Welcoming Church is a Going Church
- If you build it they will come.
- Mark 16:15 And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
- Welcoming means going. Before I conclude this book, let’s be clear on a major issue. The welcoming church is not merely a church that waits for the world to arrive at the physical address of the congregation. I do not want to leave with you the impression that the Great Commission is about waiting for people to come to us. The welcoming church is more of an attitude or disposition. It represents the mind-set of an outward focus rather than an inward focus. It is about serving rather than being served. Rainer, Thom S.. Becoming a Welcoming Church (Kindle Locations 1033-1037). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.