Home

When you visit a church for the first time, you can almost always count on someone to spot you, greet you, and offer you a bulletin (for those who are not church-y types, that is a program that shows the flows of the songs, reading, and prayers).  Most churches have someone assigned to greeting in the morning to make everyone feel that they are welcomed right away.

It is after the service where the challenge lies.

Imagine going to a new job where you are shown to your desk, work away at your first day of tasks, and then everyone walks out the door with you, maybe smiling, but no-one talks to you at all.  Good first day?  Not so much.

Well, I know from experience that it can be really hard to walk up to strangers and start a conversation.  Most people have a list of things that they need to do, children to find and herd, etc.  But taking a few minutes to introduce yourself and ask a little about someone new makes a HUGE difference in how welcome they feel and how likely they are to come back.

Last Sunday we attended First Presbyterian in town.  They have an early service and we have been putting off visiting until summer holidays when an early morning on Sunday wouldn't feel like work/school.

We had more than a standard greeting.  Several people stopped before church to introduce themselves and meet us before the service started.  Then we were invited to join the congregation for coffee downstairs and our kids wanted to stay!  So we did.

Three different people came up to me and had involved conversations.  One of them was the music teacher at the public high school in town, who was also the choir director at the church.  She got my email and invited us to perform at the church community concert that they are planning for the end of the month.  Another was a former CRC church member who had moved up north with her family (husband posted here with OPP) and not found a CRC church.  She had storied of familiar names and places.  Her husband also has experience in working on a reserve and was able to share in our experiences with First Nations culture in our local community.  Several people chatted with the kids, who felt comfortable enough to go and play upstairs by themselves.  Plus there were home-baked cookies served by the ladies to go with the tea and coffee.

All four of us walked away filled with warm fuzzies and wanting to come back.

The second Sunday we felt the same welcome.  We also were embraced by familiar liturgy and music.

Could this be home?