• Home
  • About
  • Resources
  • Contact

Sunday School Revolutionary

Sunday School matters. Be revolutionary!

3 Best Practices to Ensure a Welcoming Climate

October 7, 2016 by Mark Miller Leave a Comment

churchgreeterWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Remember this story: “Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.”

First Impressions are lasting impressions.  Most groups think they are friendly.  I have literally attended Sunday School classes where no one talked to me or my wife.  I am sure they thought that somebody would do it, but nobody did it and we didn’t go back.

WHAT DO I DO?  If you want to make a ensure that your group has a welcoming climate, implement these three best practices:

  1. Enlist somebody to do it.  That somebody could be the teacher.  Ideally teachers should arrive early and be ready to greet the guests.  That somebody could be the Outreach Leader.  Since they will want to follow up, the outreach leader could serve as primary greeter for the group.  That somebody could be a “Hidden” Greeter.  Somebody needs see a new person on Sunday morning, initiates a conversation and makes sure that the guests and members are welcomed and have a great experience. Don’t assume that everybody will be friendly, enlist somebody.
  2. Encourage your group to smile and show their teeth.  Life is hard.  Greet everyone with a smile, call everyone by name (consider wearing nametags) and let everyone know that they are loved.
  3. Remember the real test of a friendly class comes after the benediction.  Train your people to speak to each other, to care about each other.  Guests are watching.

How’s the welcoming climate in your group?

Related posts:

4 Mistakes to Avoid When Ministering to Members

Sunday School/Small Groups: Where Everybody Knows Your Name, Part 1

Leading the Sunday School to Care and Invite

Pray for God to Use Sunday School

Share
Share on Google Plus
Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this

Filed Under: 100 Small Changes, Assimilation, Group Life Tagged With: assimilation, connection, greet, welcome

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Looking for Something?

Loading

Connect With Me

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Order Copies of Discipling and Caring

 

Two encounters are critical. First, the leader encounters God in His Word and is changed. Second, the leader guides the group to have a life-changing encounter.

Order Your Copy Today!

In John 13:34-35, three times Jesus said, “Love one another.” Your group is the ideal place to practice and launch the kind of love for one another that shows the world that we are His disciples.

Order Your Copy Today!

Categories

  • 100 Small Changes (103)
  • 30 Days of Prayer (2)
  • 31 Day Countdown (31)
  • 31 Days of 3 Roles for Guiding Groups (30)
  • 31 Days of Extreme Sunday School (26)
  • 31 Days of Missionary Sunday School (29)
  • 31 Days of Transformational Class (31)
  • 31 Days Series (2)
  • 31 Days to a Better Teacher (33)
  • 31 Ideas of Outreach & Evangelism (31)
  • 5 Weeks of Flake (27)
  • Assimilation (332)
  • Best Practices (6)
  • Bible Study (95)
  • Connect (15)
  • Disciplemaking (30)
  • Enlistment (44)
  • Enrollment (50)
  • Evangelism (75)
  • Events (26)
  • Flake's Formula (22)
  • Great Expectations (33)
  • Group Life (34)
  • Growing your Group (58)
  • Job Description (33)
  • Leadership (329)
  • Learning (52)
  • Ministry (122)
  • Misc (230)
  • Mission (53)
  • New Groups (52)
  • Organization (30)
  • Outreach (454)
  • Outreach/Evangelism (160)
  • Pastors/Sunday School Directors (476)
  • Planning (199)
  • Prayer (58)
  • Resources (44)
  • Serving (4)
  • Small Groups (144)
  • Space (17)
  • Space and Facilities (19)
  • Space/Arrangement (11)
  • Spiritual Disciplines (7)
  • Spiritual Maturity (265)
  • Starting New Classes (143)
  • Sunday School (457)
  • Teaching (589)
  • Theology (2)
  • Training (31)
  • Transformation (22)
  • Vacation Bible School (18)

Together we can make the needed changes to strengthen leaders and churches to reach Kentucky and the world for Christ.