The Best Way to Welcome People to Church

Have a regular attender speak to a newcomer.  That's it.  This is the best way to make a new person feel welcome to church.  According to research from Mission Under The Microscope, 48% of church visitors said this was the most significant factor in making them feel welcomed.  Not a chat with the minister. Not an invite to lunch. A conversation with a member of the church.  In terms of the impact of other approaches:

 
• 28% said "minister spoke to me".
 
• 19% said the "minister followed up".
 
• 9% said they were "invited to a meal".

So the best thing we can do to welcome the new people we pray to come to church, is to talk to them when they get there.  The challenge is to develop a culture where church members are always on the look-out for new people, with a desire to speak with them.