Now I’m fully committed to the ‘go to them model’ of evangelism where we build relationships with people in our sphere of influence and seek to share Christ in a way that is apt and clear. I’m all for that. I am.
That said, people without any prior connection to our church community do drift in to services and activities. This past Easter - across Sydney people “drifted in” by the bus-load (if the stories my colleagues are telling are true!).
These people, in my opinion, fit into at least two broad categories; ‘Seekers’ and ‘Shoppers’. ‘Seekers’ (a term popularised by Dr. Hybels in Chicago - a term I still love) are people willing to consider the gospel (perhaps among a range of other options) and are not necessarily turned off by formal organised religion. Indeed, of their own volition they turn up to church.
‘Shoppers’ comprise a range of people. They may be ‘refugees’ from another church or ministry, they may be looking for a program for their kids, they may have recently moved into your suburb and are looking for a new church home. In the main ‘Shoppers’ are believers.
So what happens when these people appear at events and activities? Let me share something of a developing generic welcome strategy that we in our context are stumbling through. Its purpose is to help ‘Seekers’ and ‘Shoppers’ become ‘Settlers’.
1. When people attend our services as guests and visitors some of the following should happen:
- They should be able to park their car without difficulty. Parishioners should embrace the ‘L.O.V.E.’ policy; Leave Our Vehicles Elsewhere.
- They’ll be directed to the activity they are looking for with clear signs and a smiling informed car park team.
- They will be given a welcome pack as they arrive. Welcome packs comprise simple clear information about the activities of the church. Putting info on a DVD is a great idea too.
- They’ll be helped to a seat by an informed and trained ‘welcomer’.
- They will meet people at the ‘greeting’ in the service. At this point members of the congregation are to invite them to coffee after the service.
- Contact cards are located in the pews. During the ‘greeting’, or after the service people are encouraged to complete them and leave them with an usher or ‘post’ them in the mail box in the foyer.
2. On Monday people are contacted by email or phone and we arrange to meet with them.
We have two honorary ‘parish visitors’, Pauline and Vanda (a bloke), who contact people and do the meeting. In this meeting people are invited to a small group or a ‘Christian basics’ group. Names are then passed on to the small group coordinators who invite people to groups.
3. We have 4 or 5 newcomer events per year.
At these receptions people are introduced to staff, our philosophy of ministry and some of the programs that might meet their needs. We have produced a booklet that has a range of different offerings for punters (courses from Grief Recovery to Alpha to Divorce Care to Faith sharing etc).
4. Once we have people’s names in our data base we go through the list.
The ‘we’ in this case is the staff and the parish visitors. The goal is to see where people are ‘at’ and what follow-up is required. This is done approximately monthly.
In the past year or so ‘Seekers’ and ‘Shoppers’ have been integrated into our church family. That said a fair number have also slipped through our many cracks too. We’re working on it!
Stuart Robinson is the National Mission Facilitator for the Anglican Church of Australia and the rector of St Paul’s Anglican Church, Chatswood.
