Our sanctuary has a main entrance in the back where most of our 11:00 worship crowd enters. We make sure to have greeters there, handing out bulletins, smiles, and handshakes.
In addition to our sanctuary’s main entrance, there is a door towards the front of the sanctuary that is closest to our Sunday School rooms. Most of our Sunday School participants (children and adults) use it to enter the sanctuary. These are our regulars. The people who use this door are the ones who have been coming to church for a long time and know their way around. We have not had a greeter at that door, because there is a line of logic that says those people do not need the aid of an usher or greeter.
I, however, disagree with that line of logic. It is important that each person be greeted as the body of Christ gathers together. The welcome of a greeter sets a tone of love. It reminds people that they are entering a special time of worship, where they will experience God, and God’s type of love. Maybe someone has had a difficult week. A warm greeting can remind people that they are entering a place that will treat them differently than the way the world treated treated them. A warm greeting also reaffirms to each person that they belong. Its a way of saying, “You belong here, and we are glad that you do.” After all, everyone is important to the body of Christ. With these things in mind, I set out to put a greeter at the other door.
I took my own advice from an earlier post and asked someone who was not a church member to accept this new greeter position. I asked someone who had been coming for a long time (years), but never joined the church. He was glad to do it, and a few weeks later, he and his wife joined the church! In addition, the Sunday School crowd loves having him at the door on Sunday morning. It just goes to show how important greeters are to have at every door. And it is important to greet even the regulars.
Just wait until I try to convince people that we need a greeter in the parking lot!
