Building The Body By Gary L. McIntosh And Phil StevensonSample

Day Six

Room for Me?

Scripture: Ephesians 4:15-16

One factor that influences people to remain at a church is the sense of it being a loving community. Several questions come into play when people evaluate whether a church is a loving community.

When guests attend your church, they look around to see if others in attendance look like them. They hope to find people who have the same interests. They particularly look for specialty groups that meet their needs.

Second, when guests attend your church, they expect it to be contemporary in the best sense of that term. People want the atmosphere to have the look and feel of home. Is the church somewhere people feel in place or out of place? 

Guests who come to your church want more than friendliness. What they really want are friends. Many individuals grew up in a milieu of broken relationships, divorce, and loneliness. They are looking for family, and the church is the perfect place for them to receive this type of connection. They are highly committed to their friends and relationships. For many, friends are the only stable family they know.

After attending your church for a few weeks, people notice if members are making room for them in the various classes and/or small groups. They will discover whether the cliques can be penetrated or if groups and classes are closed o to them. People want to connect with the teachers, the small group leaders, and the people—not just the content. 

People do not simply want to study spirituality; they want to be immersed in it. In other words, they want the lab first and then the lecture. In addition, they want to participate fully in their own spirituality. They do not want a professional to talk to God and then tell them about it. People wish to immerse themselves in the event, experience, and topic they are studying. This is no different from other parts of life. When Gary wanted to play basketball for his high school team, he did not aspire to sit in a class listening to a coach lecture about basketball; he wanted to play the game and be coached on how to play better. 

Being aware of all these aspects of church life helps a church become a welcoming place for guests and members alike.

Would you say your church is welcoming to newcomers? Why or why not?