Welcoming Others to Our Family
By Pastor Adria
Growing up as a child of missionaries, I was often the outsider in the room. In Mexico I was the foreigner who spoke mangled Spanish. In the U.S. I was the kid who didn’t know the popular songs on the radio and wore out-of-style clothes. We also moved a lot, so I often was the new kid in the class. Suffice it to say that I was often uncomfortable and lonely; I longed to be included and to belong.
I have been deeply moved, therefore, by the verses in Scripture that talk about our true home in Christ (John 14:2-3); how we are adopted into the family of God (Romans 8:15-17); and how Christ took down the dividing walls of hostility that exist among people (Ephesians 2:11-22). I live through and by the God’s grace and love extended to us: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
Because of my experience as an outsider and of God’s grace toward me, I have become convicted of the sacred calling of welcome. One of our essential roles in the world as followers of Jesus is to welcome others, no matter who they are, because we have been graciously welcomed by Christ.
What might this sacred calling of welcome look like on Sunday mornings and in our life as a church? Do our groups have a few open chairs for those seeking to find their place at the table? Do we communicate clearly about who we are and how to participate in our life together or do we assume everyone should know what is happening? Are we open to the ideas and gifts of newcomers and younger generations—perhaps bringing the fresh wind of the Spirit—or do we march to the drum of “the way things have always been done”?
“When we are at our welcoming best, our welcome is not simply a courtesy, but a true invitation into shared life,” writes Anita Bauman in her book, Becoming Neighbors: Five Values for a World of Welcome.
Here are some other ways to welcome the new faces among us:
Wear your name tag regularly, so we can learn each others’ names and so that new people don’t feel left out. (If you need a name tag, sign up on clipboard near mailboxes by front office.)
Consider moving one pew forward in the sanctuary and moving toward the center of the pew. It is uncomfortable for newcomers to sit in the front or climb over people to find a spot.
Commit to talking to newer people for 5 minutes before you talk to your friends.
Invite someone you don’t know to join you for lunch after church.
If you aren’t sure how to talk to people you don’t know, here are some questions to ask:
“How did you find BCC?”
“Have you found the information you need (about our church)?”
“How do you spend your time during the week?”
“How long have you lived in this area?”
“What do you do to relax?”
What a witness to Jesus we are when we welcome into our building those whom we don’t know or invite the new person into our circle. What a testimony it is when we break bread with those who look, think, vote, or believe differently than we do.
May others experience the grace and welcome of God in and through our church family.