What is the criteria for determining if a church is considered a friendly church?
Helpful Parking Lot Attendants?
What about members who give you the right of way or let you back out of your parking spot without an attendant having to tell them to?
Greeters at the Door?
What about an awareness of people’s presence throughout their visit, not just when they arrive … like people making eye contact and saying “hello” as they walk the halls rather than look right through you?
Welcome Center?
What about members who are not on the hospitality committee coming up to a visitor and helping them find their way?
Designated Time to Greet One Another in the Service?
What about members greeting people outside of their normal circle of friends before and after the service without having to be told to greet one another?
A Coffee Hour or Coffee Shop?
What about a body who is able to stay and mingle without the coffee incentive?
Hospitality Rooms & Fellowship Halls to Meet and Greet?
What about churches who make it hard for people not making their way to these rooms to slip out the door unnoticed …. without at least a few people greeting them before they leave?
Kiosk Stations?
What about going to people and personally inviting them to get involved rather than expecting them to always take the first step?
Now, nothing is wrong in and of themselves with parking lot attendants, greeters, welcome centers, designated greeting times, coffee hours/shops, hospitality rooms or kiosks. These acts of hospitality can be quite helpful. But, they should not be a substitute for real body life and for spontaneous acts of friendship that come from the heart and are not merely a program.
Twitter
Facebook
friendfeed