 Welcoming
What is Welcoming? Welcoming is how we show kindness, acceptance, and hospitality to everyone - guests and members alike. People catch glimpses of Christ through their encounters with us. In a nation that's becoming more unchurched all the time, we need to ensure that seekers encounter in us a Christ that they want to know better. Looking within you place yourself in the footsteps of a visitor to find welcoming barriers. Resources such as Mystery Guest Audit and Take An Honest Walk can help you discover and address all kinds of physical and perception barriers. Stepping into your community can be as simple as a door hanger campaign, or a radio PSA. How about classified ads (yes, Igniting Ministry offers graphics for classified ads). You can find "getting started" help in Stepping Into Igniting Ministry. If you would like to (yourself, or in partnership with other local churches) have a television presence, our Matching Grant program might be able to help you double your budget!
Model Welcomers St. John's United Methodist Church
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Membership: 2,500
Attendance: 477 Welcoming newcomers is the focus at St.John's. Not only do members treat newcomers special, but they also focus on accessibility. They've added a new elevator and hundreds of new signs. They spent one year developing a new website, and have also focused on their television outreach. St. John's impressed us with their tireless effort to be accessible, involved in the community, and their one-on-one focus for members to seek out and partner with newcomers with a great sense of hospitality. In Their Own Words Click any link below to listen to an audio clip of testimonials from this Model Welcoming Congregation.
| 
