By Nancy Devine

Andrew Weeks. Photo by Michael Hudson

The ministry of greeting in any parish should be as intentional a vocation as being a member of the choir, an acolyte or the priest, says Andrew Weeks, a lay evangelist and creator of The Magnetic Church, a practical approach to evangelism.

During his conference at St. Mary’s, Richmond Hill May 12-13, greeters and those about to embark on the ministry of welcome had the opportunity to practice this important ministry to new and potential church members.

Using small groups and prepared scripts, Mr. Weeks encouraged participants to take on the roles of greeter and newcomer, and then asked that they share what they learned with greeting teams at their home churches.

“Hold regular training sessions with people who are truly interested in this ministry,” he said. “(This ministry) begins 20 minutes before the service starts and ends at the end of coffee hour.

“Jesus reached out to people. He had a walk-with-me kind of evangelism. Remember that story about the road to Emmaus. His followers didn’t really know the stranger, but still they did as Jesus had. They invited the stranger to walk with them and share in the feast.”

He implored congregations not to expect the priest to be the chief greeter. The priest, he said, is a travel agent, not a tour guide. “This kind of thinking has to change because the ministry of the church is a seminary for lay people. We have to convert the clergy from activity directors to deans of education.”

He said it doesn’t matter how large or small the congregation is. If members are not willing to offer a welcome that extends beyond a mere social greeting and the handing over of a book and a bulletin, they are not willing to grow – and more importantly, to live fully in the promise of Easter.

Welcoming new people can’t be a numbers game, he said. “I’d rather see 150 passionate believers in church than 400 benchwarmers. If we live out our mission as evangelists and welcome new people, some of whom have never set foot in a church before, then we have the potential to create new disciples – and perhaps only some of them will become members of your parish.”

He tells the story of a man who wandered into a church one Sunday when his flight back home had been delayed for several hours. He was warmly welcomed, invited for coffee hour, and felt cared for in his brief time with the congregation. Several months later, he sent a note to the church thanking them for their hospitality. He told them the welcome had made such a difference that he had returned home and found a church to attend on a regular basis.

“God sends people to us for a reason,” he said. “It may have been three weeks since they were last in a church, or it may have been 30 years. You as a greeter represent God; you could not have a more important job. But remember, you are called to be an effective representative of God. You don’t have to be God.”

See Welcoming Ministry resources

See Evangelist Urges Churches To Use Radical Hospitality