- Growing churches...spend a significant amount of time getting ready for their company - guests.
- Research studies completed by Dr. Win Arn and Dr. Charles Arn in the mid-1980's found a direct correlation between friendliness and potential growth. In short, they found that friendly churches had great potential for growth, while less friendly churches had little potential for growth.
- Most people think their church is a friendly church. It doesn't matter if the individuals who think that are attending churches in danger of closing, in the midst of twenty-year-long plateaus, or bursting forth in growth. Everyone thinks their church is friendly.
- In reality, our church is only friendly to the degree that those visiting our church perceive it to be so. If visitors do not perceive us as friendly, we are not.
- Our goal in being welcoming to guests is to reflect the welcoming God we serve. When we are welcoming, we are simply following God's example. When we aren't welcoming, we aren't reflecting God to our guests. Jesus modeled the welcoming nature of God by welcoming people. Luke describes one incident when Jesus tried to get away from the people to rest: "the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing" (Luke 9:11). Later, as tax collectors came to Jesus teaching, the Pharisees and scribes criticized him for welcoming sinners (Luke 15:1-2). As God's people, we are to be welcomers just as God is a welcomer.
- When we welcome guests, we open the possibility that they will welcome God into their lives.
My prayer is that God will help New Day become the warmest, most friendly and welcoming environment in all the Pioneer Valley and northern Connecticut! Because it's cool and the in thing? No! Because it's biblical and helps us reflect God to our guests.
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