Choose Your Own (Church) Adventure

When I was a kid, I had quite a collection of those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books. I was fascinated (still am) by the way they were put together. Do you remember those? At the end of a small section of the story, you had a choice to make. If you chose "A," you would go to page 36, but if you chose "B," you would go to page 74. Or something like that. Anyway, the choices you made determined the outcome of the story, and you could end up all over the book. Sort of like life. The best part was you could read the story over and over and not have the same outcome. I don't think I ever did read every possible outcome of the story; there were too many.

I think of those books when I consider the way a first-time guest approaches the church today. Many, if not most, have no idea what to expect when they walk up to the front doors. It's an adventure, and it may have taken a great deal of courage just to get this far. Even if they have heard something about the church itself or the denomination that church is a part of, that's no guarantee of what they will find inside. So, try to imagine what it's like for someone to come to your church for the first time...

• Did someone greet them in the parking lot? Is it clear where to park, or are there clearly marked visitor's parking spots near the front door?
• Can someone who is new tell where the best door is to enter? Many (most?) church buildings have far too many doors; can someone who doesn't know anything about the building tell where they can enter?
• Will someone who is new be greeted warmly and sincerely when they enter, or will they encounter a collection of "holy huddles"?
• Can a newcomer find what they need when they enter? Nursery and children's areas, bathroom, worship center? Or is there someone available to direct them to the appropriate locations?
• Do newcomers receive a gift? Do members know how to access that and who will give it to the guest?
• Is the congregation willing to give up "their seat" in order to welcome a guest?
• Is a newcomer treated as a guest or an intruder?

All of these things happen before the worship service even starts, and long before the preacher preaches. That's not to say the pastor shouldn't have the very best sermon he or she can give. But the sermon weighs far less in decisions about returning than we often think it does. A good guest experience can outweigh a bad sermon; a bad guest experience can't be overcome even by a good sermon.

The key to becoming a welcoming church is found in creating a culture of hospitality, a welcoming culture. It's not found when we appoint a few people as "greeters" or welcomers, though those are important. It's found as we all take responsibility for welcoming, for being hospitable. It's vital, in these days, that the Church learn to do that. It's a Gospel issue. It's a matter of eternity, for we only get one chance to make a first impression, and that may be the only chance we get to impact someone's lives with the good news of Jesus. Hospitality is not optional; it's an adventure we must choose. It's critical that we all learn to better become welcoming churches.

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Thom Rainer, Becoming a Welcoming Church. B&H Books, 2018.