Think about this …. it’s your first time ever in a meeting. There are 30 people there and you know that they know you’re new. What do I do now? When do I sit? When do I stand? Do I kneel? Am I allowed to be here? What happens when they find out I’m not one of them? All of these things are going through a newcomers mind when they come to your church. Why not orient them to what is about to happen?
Let people know what is going to happen.
Use your bulletin, a pre-service video / slide or a verbal announcement 2 minutes prior to the service starting to talk to new people (new people usually come early). What’s going to happen? How long are we going to be here? What is this singing thing? What do I do with my kids? What happens after? Address these questions in a friendly and inviting way. Utilize everything at your disposal to help orient people BEFORE you get started.
English is your second language.
Most of us speak fluent Christianeze. We are masters at saying, “love on”, “fellowship”, “blood of Christ” and “break the yoke”. We can’t imagine why people wouldn’t understand words like “anointed”, “fire tunnel” and “kids ministry”. And yet, most un-churched Canadians get lost in our idioms and feel at a loss to comprehend “propitiation”, “repent”, “substitutional atonement.” So … let’s not make the climb so steep. In fact, all of our spirituality can be communicated in the language of the day (that’s what the new testament was written in). So pick up a modern language dictionary and use words that everyone can understand.
Am I allowed to be here?
That’s a huge question in the mind of a newcomer. Take a moment right after the first song to address the newcomer directly and say, “if you’re new here, we are glad you’re here and you are so welcome here”. Phew. You just put me at ease. Speak to me and let me know that it’s ok for me to attend. Ignoring me will just add to my anxiety and I won’t get anything out of what is happening.
And you are ……..?
On any given Sunday, there are 3-4 people who take the platform and start talking. Who are they? The Priest? The bishop? A guy in Khakis? Create a culture of introduction and let everyone know who you are and what you do around here. You can use name slides to help with this or you can simply say, “Good morning my name is Pastor Rob and I’m the lead pastor here”. And yes, 99% of the people will already know who you are but that’s ok, you’re going after the one lost sheep.
I love inside jokes, I’d love to be in one some day.
Have you ever tried to crash someone’s family reunion? Have you ever hung out with a friends’ group of friends that you didn’t know? Talk about feeling left out. Any time you joke around with members of the congregation from the pulpit, you are reminding new people that they are new here and that they don’t quite belong just yet. Every time you let people stand up at the back of the church and announce something about something that they have no idea about and don’t know who that person is, you’re reminding them that they don’t quite fit. Remove that feeling by reminding yourself that there are people here who are still debating whether they would even want to be a part of this church family …. Save the goofy stuff for a more intimate setting when you know them a bit better.
Don’t play around with Kids.
Kids are very important to parents and you need to think through how you dismiss and talk about kids during your gatherings. I.e, avoid saying, “we can’t wait to touch your kids”. We RARELY just let our kids run up to the front of anything any more. So make sure you think of the kids dismissal from the perspective of a nervous parent who is not totally sure where you’re taking their kids, what you’re going to do with their kids, or where do they even pick their kids up. Again, you may feel comfortable by now, but you don’t yet have the trust of a newcomer. Show them that they can trust you by giving them as much information as you can.
Am I allowed to eat these crackers and drink this juice out of a plastic shot glass.
There are some moments in the service where newcomers are experiencing something completely new; baptism, child dedication, communion, altar time etc…. Just explain it. Explain why you do it and what is going to happen. Tell me if and how I can participate or what to do if I don’t participate. Think through the moments of your service that are unique to the Christian faith and then communicate it in a way that allows everyone to enjoy it. Knowing the history or reasoning behind a sacrament adds to the experience for a newcomer.
The Holy Spirit is powerful, not weird.
There are ways to make the moving of the Holy Spirit not seem so weird or spooky for the newcomer. You can explain what is happening as it is happening. You can provide a handout that explains some of the things that a person might encounter while at your church. Like Paul did to the Corinthians, you can communicate to people in your congregation that exercise these gifts a proper order and way that these gifts will be used in the context of a public gathering. As we gather, we want everyone to experience the power of God and we don’t want anyone left behind.
What about you? How do you orient newcomers to your church?
Jeremiah works as an Effectiveness Coach with the ABNWT District of the PAOC. He is a passionate and creative leader who believes that the church is the hope of the world. He uses collaboration, innovation, and inspiration to challenge churches and their leadership to engage in the only mission Jesus ever sent his church on: making disciples.