The Christmas season is here once again. Beyond the beautiful music, festive decorations, and the reminders of the first coming of our Savior, Christmas brings with it still another joy. People who study such things tell us that there are two seasons in which un-churched or not-regularly churched people are more likely to attend, Christmas and Easter. As a large church, it can be more of a challenge, as many of us who’ve been coming here for years don’t always know each other by name—or by face.
It’s the time of year when we lean on our hospitality team—our H.I.S. Team (in case you were wondering, H.I.S. stands for Help. Inform. Support—which isn’t a bad goal for hospitality team). Our H.I.S. Team wasn’t created in case guests decide to come to Spencerville Church, they exist because we are planning for guests to come to Spencerville Church. Do you see the difference? One is passive, and one is intentional. We want to be intentional.
Did you know that most guests decide whether or not they will return within five minutes of arriving on campus? Did you know that introducing guests to multiple people makes it almost 30% more likely that they will return for a second visit?
Bad at Small Talk? No Problem.
Here’s a great way to react when you see someone you don’t recognize: “Hi, I’m not sure that we’ve met, I’m (your name).” Usually, they will follow that by giving you their name, but if they don’t, it’s okay to ask for it. If you’re bad at small talk, don’t worry. You only need to have one question ready: “Tell me about yourself.” Yep, that’s it.
Hint: Avoid asking them if they’re visiting. In a church our size, you have a significant chance of offending someone who’s been attending here for years—so avoid that question altogether.
As we enter a time of year where it’s more likely for us to have guests worshiping in our midst, let’s be intentional about welcoming those we don’t know into our community of faith and fellowship. Who knows, it just might be your personal introduction that’s the first step into making Spencerville their community of faith and fellowship too.