Dear friends in Christ,
In the midst of a warm, muggy summer, it might seem odd to be thinking of autumn. Perhaps it’s wishful thinking on my part. But I’m already leaping ahead to September.
In the old days, that is, just before the pandemic, autumn was a common time for seekers to go looking for churches. Lots of guests would arrive on Sunday mornings in September, people looking for a church home. We don’t have enough post-pandemic years under our belts to know if there’s a new pattern, but I suspect we’ll still see an influx of guests in our churches this fall.
Are you ready? While an Episcopal Church Welcomes You sign is a good start, a warm welcome requires warm greeters. A hospitable church will look at its signage to make sure it’s clear which door to enter, how to find the worship space, and where to use the restroom. Children will be welcomed with kid-friendly materials and perhaps a comfy space to worship alongside their grownup siblings in Christ.
Summer is a good time to look at our churches through guests’ eyes. Ever better, invite a friend who’s never been to your church to come and look around—and tell you what they see.
Jesus taught that welcoming strangers is really important. That’s especially true in our churches, where we have the opportunity to offer the blessing of hospitality to people who may be going through lots of transition.
Forward Movement offers Invite Welcome Connect with a list of ideas, but most of what we need to do only requires common sense and intentionality. The warm days of summer are the perfect time to prepare for the cool days of autumn. Now is the time for us to be ready to welcome the next seeker, to offer them the hospitality that Jesus wants us to share.
Yours faithfully,
Scott Gunn
Executive Director
More from our ministry:
Introduce newcomers to our prayer book tradition: Inwardly Digest
Brush up on Episcopal basics: Walk in Love
Welcome new Episcopalians with a beautiful BCP Gift Edition
Sign up today for our Renewing Discipleship conference in September