It is important to involve newcomers in the life of your church quickly. When people come to church, it is important that they feel at home. People want to feel like they are part of the family. There is a simple way to get people involved that I think is often overlooked.
Ask newcomers to serve as greeter for a few Sundays! It’s a great way to give someone new the opportunity to meet new people. It is also an easy job that does not require much training, and anyone can do it. Pair the newcomer with someone that has been around a while, and it’s sure to win. I have seen this work wonders. It helps new people get into action. They feel like they are part of the church’s missions from the very beginning, AND they have the opportunity to meet new people.
Thanks to Anita for teaching me this one back in Gulf Breeze. She took this idea to the extreme. If she knew that you were new, she would stand with you at the front door and invite you to help her greet folks. I was amazed at how receptive people were to being called into service instantly. Instead of being intimidated, this helped them to establish relationships and a sense of community with our congregation.
[...] took my own advice from an earlier post and asked someone who was not a church member to accept this new greeter position. I asked [...]