Taking that first step

Dear Trinity Tribe,

I am not sure what first brought you through the doors at Trinity. I am here because with prayerful consideration the Bishop and the twelve District Superintendents thought I would be a good fit for this congregation. I appreciate how warm and open everyone has been to me and to Mark and Kenna and Hanna. Most of you, unlike me, didn't walk in where everyone knew your name.

Walking into a church for the first time is a weird thing. You don't know where to sit. You don't know the music. You don't know the people. You don't know how they do things, even the familiar ones. So, for all of you have walked into this church as a youth or an adult for the first time, BRAVO! You did something very difficult! It felt weird and uncomfortable, but you did it anyway.

There are things that we can do that make it easier for visitors. First, we can invite people to attend church with us. Whether it is a neighbor who moves in next door or that person you have known your whole life that doesn't have a church family, you can invite them to come. That way they have someone to sit with. They have someone to help them find the page number. And they have someone to eat lunch with afterwards. That is a powerful gift that you can give to a friend…a personal invitation to spend time with his/her Lord and Maker and to get together with some other parts of the Body of Christ.

Secondly, we can make our church easy to walk into. If there is someone at the door who sees you come out of your car in the rain and runs to meet you with a big golf umbrella, that would be a great first impression. If someone in the narthex showed you to a seat and sat you next to someone who was about your age, that would go a long way to make you feel comfortable. If someone called you by name, that makes you feel wanted and welcome! If someone introduces himself to you, you feel important. If the pastor or liturgist is careful to explain items of the service, it makes you feel more comfortable and like an insider rather than an outsider.

Let's all pray about who we can invite to church. Let's also pray about how we at Trinity can be more welcoming and how we can make first time visitors feel like insiders.

Also, I would love to hear stories about your first visit to Trinity. What felt good? What made you come back? What made you feel uncomfortable? Have you visited other churches that are doing something right? If so, let us know so we can shamefully adopt the practice! ;-)

Have a wonderful day!