Hi, I’m Nigel.
A few years ago, the Fortescue’s walked into a church in New York expecting an awesome morning. We had coffee in hand and we arrived early looking forward to meeting people and having a great experience of how church is done. The welcome we received was not great. The first words someone said to us were: “You can’t bring coffee in here, drink it outside.” So we did. Suitably caffeinated we went in and a few people said hi but that was all. No one helped us understand what was happening. No one explained what happens with kids or anything. After the service only one person spoke with us and only as we were exiting. He was another minister from the Eastern suburbs of Sydney who was also visiting New York.
Christians are called to welcome and love like our God. It didn’t happen.
Unfortunately, in the last week, I have heard some sad stories of the same thing happening at our church. Visitors being ignored. Even people who have been here 9 months being ignored.
Friends, if we are committed to being a growing Christian community, we need to all always have a mindset of welcoming and loving every time we gather. We need to come to church ready to welcome and love. As a church grows, the reality is you never really know who is new and who is not. So we need to have our minds engaged and be active in welcoming every time. This is not someone else’s job, this is your job.
God has placed you here to love others.
You belong here to love others.
You are loved here so love others.
If you have a mouth, please use it and talk to someone. They don’t have to be new, just breathing. If they’re new and breathing, that’s doubly fantastic. Be friendly and inviting.
If you have hands, please use them to serve someone, do something for them just as God has done for you just what you need.
If you have eyes, please if you see something that needs doing, do it.
If you have feet, grab a friend and walk over to someone sitting or standing by themselves and welcome them and love them like our God loves us.
If you have a house, invite someone over, someone you know and someone you don’t know well and have tea or a cake or a dinner or a lunch. Be hospitable. Welcome those you don’t know.
We are called to welcome and love like our God.
If you are good at it, grab someone who is hiding in a corner and take them with you to show them in how to welcome and love. It’s not natural to all but it is necessary for all.
In partnership for the Gospel,
Nigel