Why do we need to go this way?
the planter writes: THIS IS AN ADD I PICKED UP IN MY INBOX:
A visitors comes to your church.
They walk in, they do not know anyone or what to expect yet, they have come to your congregation wanting to worship.
Sometimes they are looking for a church home, sometimes a place to come into contact with God.
What they really, really want is a friendly face, a warm handshake, and...well...a friend.
Your congregation is probably very friendly, but unless these guests are greeted and helped within the first few seconds in your building, they will not think of your church as a friendly one.
Here is a plan, step-by-step, 'do this, then do this, then do this.' Your plan for greeting guests and maintaining a greeters ministry is here. Ready to go by Sunday.
Don't wait.
Check this out.
In Him,
--Curt Gunz
P.S. There will be visitors at church this Sunday, will you be ready? Summer is when people look for a church home (they want to get settled before school starts)
http://ministrysupportcenter.com/greeters.html
the planter: the sad thing is that someone will actually read this here and go buy the kit.
posted by Bob Carder @ 6:08 PM
15 comments
15 Comments:
If you buy the above program, then you really need to invest in this product.
The question I have is did you indeed have a visitor at your church today? I mean... did the prophecy come to pass or should someone be stoned?
It's hard to take something like that seriously. I mean, really ... it reads like a Saturday Night Live skit.
the planter: the sad thing is that someone will actually read this here and go buy the kit.
Unfortunately, I've spent all my minstry budget on the Simulated Holy Spirit Goosebumps Kit.
This stuff is a knee jerk to the church growth movement whereas we must do anything and everything to increase our traffic flow, pay the bills and look better and better.
While we look better and better the world looks worse and worse.
In my last church "a member" actually told a visitor that they were sitting in her pew "spot". We should have purchased the kit for that old FART!
But, but, but ... I can't worship right if I'm not in my spot, my place, my rut.
And the music has to be the way I like it. The pastor needs to wear a suit and use a podium. Oh, and the choir needs to be in robes ... otherwise it's not real worship.
Furthermore, the perfect mix for worship is two choruses with no more than two repeats each, a hymn, one more chorus (two repeats, then prayer, offering, message, and an altar call. Every week.
Otherwise I can't worship.
Mike oozes with sarcasm. I love it!
Sounds like it could help. Why is everyone so hostile? Maybe having a plan to greet visitors is not such a bad thing.
If I was visiting a church for the first time I think I might like to have a friendly person help me (even if they had been coached or trained how to do it).
Just my 2 cents. Obviously the group here does not agree. Don't slam me too hard "in Christian love." :)
Anonymous
I think our disdain is not that a church would provide and even train greeters, but the focus of the ad.
For me, the disconnect came with the idea that if a person is greeted right, in this exact way, that then, by golly, they'll stay at the church. Because this is THE way to do it.
But a good greeter, as important as that MAY be, is not the point of church.
Anony, we are not hostile here. Maybe we should just be the church that acts like Jesus! If we do that we don't need all the programmed love the world has to offer
We know we are missing something when we have to train people how to love unconditionally and show hospitality. When the Holy Spirit is apart of who we are these things are just who we are.
The insane part of all of this is that I bought into this stuff just 8 years ago. Thank God for true freedom.
ps I can see that I am going to have to work on my sarcasm skills if I am going to comment on this blog lol
I even bought the kits from John Maxwell's leadership Conferences on various subjects in my 25 year pastorate. UGGHHHHH!
Let's just do it the Jesus did:
He visited tax collectors
He reached out to Samaritan women.
He drank beer at the local bar.
He drank wine at the wedding.
He was concerned about the souls of humankind. We are concerned about this or that sin of humankind. When will we learn that Jesus just wants our love and devotion?
hmmmm...eat drink and be merry!! that sounds just like my kind of church!!...NOT! (pardon MY sarcasm)
you guys are being kinda hostile out here. and strongly sarcastic.
glorifying Christ needs to be the ultimate focus of everything we do. yes. but can it be that Christ can be the center of a program? can't Christ be the center of an outreach event?
im not drinking your koolaid (or wine) nope sorry.
thats my 2 cents. but i suspect im not welcome here.
AND PS...i am NOT the anonymous that wrote higher up. you probably don't even know me. :)
To the second anony...You are fearful of what you read here, it seems. You are welcome and our kool-aide or wine as you refer to is not being offered to you. Sorry.
Your free drink will have to come from another blogger. I'm not sharing with you. That is, yet!
Instead of accusing me or others of hostility, why don't you just ask the questions that are really bothering you. I don't appreciate nor am I willing to let you off the hook for your smoke screening attempts.
You must hang with us. We like having you around. I must tell you tho, that your suspicions are not correct as written directly by you above.
You are also welcome to take off the anony armor. We don't kill people around here. We do speak with honest frankness. If you cannot handle truth or frankness you may be stretched a bit.
Lighten up and expand your patterns of thinking. Move beyond the smokescreen of your own making and try to see the real issues behind this post.
You didn't write the Greeter program did you? You are not getting defensive are you?
Post a Comment
<< Home