April 24, 2005
Pastor: Richard Pfeil
Serving God through the Ministry of Hospitality
Ephesians 2:12-14, Matthew 25:34-35, Mark 9:37
If you are a visitor, I’m Pastor Richard, and this morning we are focusing on, as we have the last three weeks, on ministry that can make a difference in our world. I want to give you just three questions you can ponder, that maybe you would like to respond to [feel free to, out loud. I know in church you don’t do that. This morning I give you permission.] Here are the three questions:
1) Who is the most important person in this room right now? Who is the most important person besides God? Let’s rule him out because everyone would say it’s God, of course. Because He’s here, where two or three are gathered; He’s here. Apart from God who is the most important person in this room? You can look around, is there a politician here? Someone else? Does anyone want to take a stab at it? [responses] That’s good that’s a good response. Does anyone else want to take a stab at it?
2) The next question: What is the most significant ministry in the church? By significant, and it may surprise you, I mean the most effective in reaching people and bringing them into a relationship with God and into his church. What is the most important, significant ministry of the church? Witnessing? That’s an excellent one. What is another possibility? Hospitality? You’re looking ahead now. What do people look for in a church, the number one thing? Friendship? That one came out quickly, friendship yes, in a word love, warmth. It’s interesting, that is the very thing Jesus said would draw people to him. John 13:35. [Maureen stole my thunder here, she already called the verse. I do want to contend something with you Maureen. She talks about gifts, the things God has given you and when it came to the “p’s,” pastor wasn’t even on the list at all. Really I was offended and hurt by that. (laughter)]
“By this will people know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” By far it does not matter how good a preacher preaches on Sunday morning. It does not matter how inspiring the worship is. It does not matter how abundant the programming is that a church offers. It does not matter how well-kept the church is. If people do not experience a warm and friendly environment, if they don’t feel wanted and appreciated, they will not be back. People look for love, love is the most powerful thing.
3) How does a person experience warmth on any given Sunday? How does a person experience welcome? Any ideas? They should really experience it through us all, but in particular, the people on the front lines. We are going to focus this morning on the importance of the ministry of Ushering and Greeting. It’s a wonderful ministry in that it is something we can all do. It doesn’t require a lot of special gifts and talents. We all have the ability to say ‘Hi’, greet and shake hands, and get to know people. All that it takes is warmth, a sense of excitement, a smile and some sensitivity. It’s a wonderful ministry in that it is time friendly - you already come to church, it doesn’t take any more of your time; it doesn’t take a lot of training. In fact, if you just think through what helps you experience a sense of welcome and warm friendship in a church when you go visit, that’s all you need. All you have to do is think through that question and you can solve things for yourself.
We are going to give you some ideas this morning on things that we can do. You know it’s great for people who are bubbly. If you are a people person, this is your ministry. It’s a wonderful ministry for people who are new to the church because it enables you to meet a lot of people and get to know them. Also, you have the wonderful excuse to say, Are you a visitor this morning? and if they say I have been coming to this church for 47 years, you can say I just joined the church and I am new.
If there is any one text, to focus on this morning, it would be Mark 9:37. Someone asked Jesus who is the greatest, and he really answers question number one - who is the most important person in the church! Jesus said, (this is His answer, not my answer), Jesus said this: “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me.” Now what is he talking about, “little children”? Well, in the immediate context, he is referring to children, but in the larger context, as you look at Mark 9:42, he talks about little ones as being those who are new to the faith, or those who are seeking, who are looking for an answer. They’re not quite sure where it is, but they come to the church to discover whether or not the answer is found there. It’s someone whose faith is just beginning. We call them seekers.
Who are the seekers in churches? They tend to be people who are busy, not always having a lot of time; some are people who have moved to a new area and are looking for a church. But in general, those ‘little ones’ that Jesus is referring to, have come to the church to find out if that answer is there. What can we do to insure that we encourage their faith at that starting point, the incubation point, so that they experience God’s warmth and God’s love for them? How do we do that? We want to look at that.
But first, let’s open with a word of prayer. (prayer)
Why?... It’s always important first to answer the question why. Why make an effort? Why go the second mile? That is what I am going to ask you to do today, go the second mile when it comes to Ushering and Greeting. The answer to that why question is because we are in the people business; the church is in the business of redeeming people. Who gives us that charge? Well the answer is Christ! If you study the gospels and Jesus’ life, you will discover that Jesus spent a lot of time with people, right? His entire ministry centered on connecting people with God. Morning, noon and night - he spent that time ministering to people. The only time he got away was when they finally wore him out; he had to get away until he recharged his batteries. Jesus said, “for this reason I came,” (he mentioned in John 10:10), “I have come that they might have life and that much more abundantly.” Christ came so that we can really experience what life is all about. His focus was on people. It was on us, it was on redeeming lives.
2 Peter 3:9 says this: “God is patient with us, not wanting that anyone should perish, but that everyone should come to repentance,” meaning everyone would come to God. What did people accuse Jesus of, what was one of the main criticisms they had of Jesus in his day? He welcomed sinners. In response to the criticism, Jesus did something he never did in the entire Gospels, in his entire ministry. If you look at Luke 15 you discover that in response to this question or this criticism, Jesus tells three stories, one after another in sequence. The stories are the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, or you may know it better by the prodigal son, which means the lost son. In each of those stories there are 3 commonalities: 1. Something precious was lost. 2. It warranted an all-out search. 3. A celebration was thrown when what was lost was found. In the middle of that chapter, Jesus says this in response to two of the first parables, “I tell you the truth in the same way there is rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents,” meaning this one person who comes to me and gives their life to me and turns the leadership of their life over to me- that there is rejoicing in heaven.
Did you know that the day you turned your life over to God, all of heaven erupted in praise and worship over you? Do you know that? Why? Because you matter to God. Because people matter to God. God wants us to have the same heart, that we would extend the same grace that we received, the same love that we received. It’s usually a normal and automatic response. If you have experienced God’s love you want to share it with others. You want to pass it on to someone else. That is why we have passages like Romans 15:7 “Accept one another then, just as God in Christ accepted you.” It is interesting when Jesus describes the righteous. How does he describe them?
Take a look at your outline. I want you to open your bulletin and get your outline out; it’s in the announcement part. I want us to read this verse together. It’s at the bottom of page 7-1, Matthew 5:25. How does Jesus describe the righteous? It’s important. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” The righteous are those who (one of those things) sees the stranger and invites him in. Does it really work? Is it really all that important? Absolutely, in fact you’ve probably already experienced it.
Just about a week ago, there was another report from Fortune 500 that, for the ninth year in a row, Wal-Mart is the richest company in the entire world. How did they conquer K-Mart? That was their mission to conquer K-Mart. I lived in the day when the blue light special ruled the roost. Do you remember the blue light special? I mean K-Mart was the place to go. You hung around waiting for the blue light special. Wal-Mart entered into that market and has defeated K-Mart by doing something, one thing, one thing alone. They put a greeter at the entrance, they put greeters at the exit and they put greeters throughout the entire building, so that by the time you walked through the building you have been asked three or four times, Is there anything I can get you? Now that has changed in some Wal-Mart’s, its not working in some places. But that is how they built their business. They made people feel that they were the most important person there. The customer, the person, was the center of their focus.
It’s the philosophy of Fed-Ex. Fed-Ex says they built their company on this motto: If you don’t take care of your customers, someone else will! Now I am not saying that visitors or Christians are our customers, but I do believe that it applies, in that if the church does not make the people feel welcome, someone else is going to. It may be the TV, or it may be the football game, or it may be a cult. But if we don’t welcome and extend the same grace that we received, you know someone else will. What better place to extend the loving grace of God than in the church.
Why do we want to be involved in a top notch Ushering and Greeting ministry? Because we are in the same business our Father is in. We are in the business of redeeming people. We are in the people business. Well, what communicates, what enables people to experience warmth and welcome in the sense that they are important, they fit here, they belong here? What would impress you , what would impress you, or not impress you? You already have this answer, what would impress you? Having a greeter at the door, would that impress you? Be honest. Not having one is a black mark. That not only does not impress you that repulses you or makes you think something’s wrong with this place. But having a greeter at the door does not necessarily impress. Why? - because everyone has a greeter at the door, everyone does. What would impress you, what would mark out a church as different, that really went out of the way? What would do that? Something a lot of Presbyterian churches are doing. What would happen if you were greeted in the parking lot? Then as you went from the parking lot somebody greeted you as you got to the door. As you came up to the staircase somebody greeted you there. As you finally got to the church door somebody greeted you there, as you finally got to the pew somebody greeted you there. Now wouldn’t that impress you? Why go to such effort? Because we are in the business of people, because our Heavenly Father is in the business of people.
What about Sunday School? What do you need to know as you go up to the Nurture Building, as you go up the stairs for your first time? Maybe you remember the first time you ever came to this church. It’s a big building, isn’t it? Well there are some things you need to know. Where is my class? There’s like a billion classes over there. It’s wonderful, we have a great program, but there are a lot of rooms. Maybe a map to tell me where my kids go, where I go. If you drink coffee in the morning, you may need the bathroom. You don’t want to ask the question, you just want to know where to go. If you have little children, you want to know where the nursery is. You want to know the class schedule - what is offered. It’s also nice not going into a room cold. Have you ever walked into a classroom and had all these strangers are staring at you. Who are they? Especially for children it is very intimidating. So it’s great to be introduced to the class. Now adults may or may not care for this stuff, some do and some don’t. A lot of adults like to slip in anonymously, get their feet wet, and slip out, so you have to be sensitive to that.
How about going from the parking lot to the sanctuary, making it to the sanctuary, what do you need to know? Well, you need to know the same things; you need to know where the bathroom is. You don’t want to have to ask. The bathrooms really need to be clean, don’t they? If they are nasty, are you coming back? How about the nursery? The nursery needs to be nice. These are our children; these are our little ones, our precious ones. It needs to be well-stocked; it needs to be clean; it needs to be safe; it needs to have a friendly attendant, who will welcome our children, who looks as if they like children. You want a sense of safety and security that the children will not be running around the halls, and how you’ll be contacted if your child is crying or can’t be consoled. It’s nice, when you pick up your child, to be welcomed back. It’s even nicer, if you have a baby, an infant, if when you receive the child back they don’t smell. Mothers, wouldn’t that be nice if they changed your baby just before they gave him back to you. Why do we do this - this going the extra mile? Because we are in the business of people.
How about once you get to the sanctuary? What do you need? Well actually when you are downstairs you need to know where the sanctuary is because it’s not where it’s suppose to be. Every sanctuary is on the first floor, ours is on the second. This is unique, visitors look for the sanctuary on the first floor. I have seen people wandering around, saying where is the sanctuary. You know people need to be directed to the sanctuary. When you finally get to the foyer it’s nice to have a smile isn’t it. Isn’t it nice to be greeted with a smile? How about a warm welcome, how about being seated, being asked your name and to respond by giving them your name, and ask them whether they are a visitor. This is the biggest problem - people fear asking because the person has been coming for 15 years. All you have to say is this. “Well I have been here for ____[and tell them how many years or a month or two], how it is we have never met yet?” Extend the hand of fellowship.
A helpful thing you can do for visitors is to explain the fellowship pad. You say there is a red fellowship pad, where? Explain the fellowship pad. Offer a brochure - that will cut down on the announcement time. Instead of saying there is brochure in the back, give them a brochure. Don’t make them ask for one; just give them one. Have them in your hands ready to roll. When you come to a new church for the first time, sometimes you need things to be explained. It’s really nice if you introduce them, this is what I want you to do, this is my prayer for you, when you seat someone you introduce them to someone else who’s sitting in the same pew they are. Introduce them and they will take the conversation from there. It’s good to introduce people to someone in the pew so they worship around the family, and already there is a sense of connection. Just be sensitive to their needs, if you know they have small ones, remind or tell them maybe for the first time, there is a nursery. If they have a hearing aid you may want to make a mentioned that we have hearing devices in the back that they may want to utilize if they have a hearing problem. Or if they have a walker, tell them what you do, you take the walker to the back and before the closing prayer bring it back to them.
If they have food and drink… now we know, no food and drink in the sanctuary, that’s the rule, but do visitors know that? How would you like to be chastised for something you didn’t know? So here is what I am going to ask you to do. If someone brings food and drink and they are a visitor, don’t chastise them. Don’t say, I am sorry there is no food and drink allowed in the sanctuary. Give them a pass and they will learn. No one likes to be chastised for something. What if you come in late? How many of you have ever come into church late? I am raising my hand too, everyone has. Just relax, you are not being judged here. What do you not want to have happen when you come into church late? Two things nobody wants to have happen when they come into the church late: to be advertised, I’m late. How do we advertise that people are late? By marching them up front. Look, everyone wave to them, they’re late. Why do we do that? The second thing we don’t want to have to do is climb over people, and you probably don’t want people to climb over you anyway.
Here is a suggestion, I know this is radical; this is just a thought to help visitors feel more welcome. What would happen if we left the last pew empty. I know, I just lost my job. This is radical, but why do we do these radical things - because we are in the people business! If you don’t want to embarrass visitors, you let them take the back pew, or the balcony is another great option. Another thing, how about when you come to the sanctuary, fill in the center of the pew out. Now this will help you and help them. One, they don’t have to crawl over you; and two, if they don’t crawl over you they won’t snag your nylons. This works for everyone. Now, am I going to put a rope up in the back or tape it up? Am I going to make rules and laws out of this? No, because I shouldn’t have to. This is not about rules; this is about love. It’s about extending the same grace that we received. We don’t do it because we have to, we do it because we want to. Because people matter to us, and because we have always mattered to God and want to extend that same love and grace to other people. People are funny aren’t they, people are just funny. We believe there are 100 billion stars in 100 billion galaxies and this is a belief that is probably true, but unproven, but we won’t believe when we read a sign that says “Wet Paint”. We are a funny people in that we want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and the back of the church. Now why is that?
How about the parking lot- the parking lot is another opportunity for welcoming a visitor. We reserve the front of the parking lot for the elderly; for the handicapped; for parents with many children, the wee ones; and visitors. My encouragement to you, if you are able bodied, not because you have to but because you want to, because we are in the people business, I encourage you to do as I do, park across the street. If you are able bodied, or you need to lose a little weight or get some exercise, park across the street; and it’s a wonderful opportunity to welcome those who are visiting. God has blessed us with parking problems. Having parking problems is a blessing from God – you are doing something right as a church.
The last thing we want to talk about is the ministry of the pew, pew ministry. You don’t have to be signed up as the usher of the day to greet someone. I want you all right now to raise your right hand. I now deputize everyone as greeters. Rose doesn’t have to call you for you to greet. Whenever you get out of your car, look around and greet somebody! You are all deputized as official greeters, so don’t wait to be on the schedule to greet. Get out of the car, start looking around. We don’t have to create new schedules to do this. When someone is seated next to you, I encourage you to introduce yourself . If you don’t know them, get their name, ask them who they are and if they say they have been here for 95 years, just say how is it we have never met?, and get to know them. It’s a great opportunity for fellowship.
Consider explaining the bulletin to them. If you are a visitor, do you know when to stand up and sit down? Just tell them, here is where we are, especially when they are late. Here is where we are in the service; here is what we are doing; here’s how we do it; here’s where we stand up; here’s when we sit down; here’s the offering time. Just explain the bulletin to them.
Be sensitive to their needs. If they have small children, remind them of the nursery, if they have any particular needs, extend a word offering to help them. After the service get acquainted more and look for commonalities between your life and theirs. Tell them what a wonderful Pastor you have. Of course, always invite them back. Why should we go out of our way as we are sitting comfortably in our pews, getting ourselves ready for worship? Because we are in the people business, because God is in the people business and we want to impact peoples’ lives for Christ.
I have been toying with a visitation team and I am not sure whether a visitation team should go out after church or Monday just to spend a one or two minute visit welcoming the newcomer. In some churches that works; sometimes people find it too pushy, some find it very welcoming. I’m not sure…information packs you know, offering free gifts. We were at a church in Seaford and they gave us a diamond pin. Yes, a diamond pin, they gave us a pin with a “dime on” it, it was very disappointing. I totally disagree with that.
I am not sure where I got this illustration, it was in my file. It’s called, “I am a Nice Stranger.”
“I am a nice stranger. I never complain, I never create a scene. When I go to church, I never offer an objection if the usher leads me down the long aisle to the front seat, while all the members of the church crowd to the back seat and fix their curious gaze on my embarrassed march. No I just take my seat and say I am a nice visitor. I never growl aloud when I have to push by and walk over the feet of selfish church members who hog the aisle seats and would not move out of their favorite places if it meant the salvation of a soul. No I just sit down meekly because I am the ideal church stranger. I never reprimand the young people who are sitting behind me who are chewing gum and whispering and gigling. Oh, no I am too polite for that. At the close of the service as I walk towards the door, I never make a scene if nobody speaks to me or shakes my hand. No, they gather in their little clicks and don’t bother me, I am just a visitor to the church. And I tell you what else that I am, I’m a stranger who never comes back. That’s my little revenge for not being welcomed. I know when I am not wanted. I can sense when the church members are cliquish and unfriendly, and I can tell when they lack interest in the spiritual welfare of the visitor. I, of course am too cultured and too nice to say anything. I just go to some other, more friendly, more hospitable, more spiritual church. Or don’t go to church at all. I won’t make a complaint. I’m a nice visitor, I just don’t go back. There are millions of us who could be reached by a little hospitality and warmth. Are you just a nice complacent church member or are you genuinely concerned about the spiritual condition of a stranger and visitor?”
That’s a good question to ponder; I want you to ponder that one. Are we just nice, complacent church members or are we genuinely concerned about the spiritual condition of a stranger or visitor. I give you an opportunity to participate in the most important and effective ministry of the church and that is the ministry of extending the warmth and friendship that grace God.
In your bulletin there is an insert, I want you to pull it out; (it has fine graphics I made this myself), and I want you to prayerfully consider being part of this ministry of hospitality. We are going to collect these now in the service. I want to have a word of prayer with you, then I want you to just look at it and then fill it out. If you want to be an usher, which service? If you don’t care which service, great. Greeter, which service or both. If you would like to greet in the parking lot, which service or both. If you want to greet before Sunday School, great. If you say, you know what, I can’t do any of those, but I’ll do what you asked me to do in the pew. Just make a check mark there. Put your name, you don’t have to put your phone number if we have it already in the directory. If it’s not in the directory, just give us phone numbers now. Participate and offer yourself in this wonderful ministry, because God will use you, only because of one reason, because we are in the people business. Let’s pray…
