I may lose friends over this but it could be that netball is the most perilous and terrifying sport known to humankind. My wife loves it. When the multiple fractures occurred she was rushed to hospital. The first person to look at her was the Triage Nurse. That is the person whose critical job it is to determine the nature of the injury and what form of help is required.

How do we get Congregational Triage Nurses in place? I'm not thinking of treating the injuries resulting from the unpredictable outbursts of violence in the cry room or the orthopaedic work required after sitting on too many ancient pews. My concern is for those who are the first-timers to our churches, and the "returnees', as well as the person who hangs loose from committed membership.

The experience of anyone walking up to a church door (why are they often so narrow?) and being met by a person who is there, because they are on the roster, will reveal the need for experienced persons to have this role.

Wandering up to the (hopefully accurately described) "Welcome Desk' at a church, only to have to push past the small animated crowd of regulars who all know each other, may leave one with the feeling that some are more "welcome' than others. The family with the crying baby, the single man or woman, the person who possibly may have difficulties with the English language, are all in need of effective "Triage' assessment.

We should consider this for at least two reasons.

1. We must be caring of each other
It is a sign of our interest in others and our willingness to help them come to grips with Jesus that we want people to get the most out of our church meetings. Businesses call it being "customer focussed' but the Bible simply calls it being loving. It may well need the best people on the door to bring this about as "

2. We can only make first impressions once
The person the newcomer meets at the church door or Welcome Desk should be the person who can connect the newcomer with a helpful person inside. If care and a single minded interest in the newcomer is apparent then that is the first step in helping them return.

All this brings into focus the issue of the personal competency and appropriateness of the Congregational Triage Person on the door. I have been aware of people who have been a friendly face at the Welcome Desk but who are known in their community as a bitter gossip or selfish bully. Worse, they do not know how to talk about Jesus as a recipient of His grace and mercy. They don't know their job and they are not eager to be trained to do it better.

We could avoid further "injuries' by not desperately calling for volunteers to serve on the church door but by selecting mature Christians who can "triage' those who show up at our Sunday services. Of course, if no new people are coming then that may require an entirely different article. Perhaps we should at least tell them that unlike netball, church doesn't usually break bones.

Jim Ramsay is the CEO of Evangelism Ministries, the evangelism support arm of the Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church.