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10 Ways to Be a Welcoming Church

Raise your hand if you want to make visitors to your church feel awkward.

Hopefully, no one wants visitors to feel uncomfortable, but it often happens, even unintentionally.

I know this from personal experience. I’ve visited some really awesome churches and left without one person speaking to me. So, how can we stop this from happening?

Here are 10 things you can start doing to be a welcoming church:

1. Rethink your website.

Having a special page dedicated to visitors is a must. This isn’t something you should get around to later. Set up a time this week to create this page if your church site doesn’t already have one. Here is a great example.

2. Create some signs.

Which way is the bathroom? Child care? Sunday school? Visitors have no idea, and signs are an easy way to direct new people. Don’t leave them stranded, no matter what size your building is.

3. Station greeters at EVERY entrance.

A lot of churches have their main entrance covered by a stellar welcome team but forget about the other doors. Guests might not know which entry is the main one, so make sure there are smiling faces at every door.

4. Designate a team to look for people sitting alone.

Then have someone go sit by them, or at least near them. The worst feeling is visiting a church, sitting all by yourself and then having no one come talk to you. Visitors don’t have a contagious virus to be avoided, so make sure they’re not made to feel that way.

5. Ask your church members to always introduce themselves to anyone they haven’t seen before.

Yes, they may be introducing themselves to current members, but that won’t hurt either. If members become used to saying hello and greeting every unfamiliar face, then no visitor will leave without being welcomed.