One encounter can make the difference
Some people who are guests at our church services feel processed rather than served. So often as churches we go through the required motions to complete the worship transaction. Poor service is a direct reflection of a leader’s attitudes and actions. How we welcome people is part of our worship to God. It is a practical demonstration of the liturgy and worship songs and hymns that day. If God knows how many hairs on each of our heads, shouldn’t our welcome team know the names of each person who has been once to our church? And then make sure that we greet everybody by name? Therefore on the first visit do we have a desire to get to know people. Why should you return to a place where you are not well-treated. However I often hear people who have had a good experience of church say “the people of the church were so friendly”. When I question them as how many people they interacted with, they tell me that one person had spent the time to find out about them. Here is the really cool thing, that one encounter represented the rest of the people in the church. It doesn’t take much to invite people to stay