Monday, April 07, 2008

the 'welcome' course

Last Thursday night, my new church started the 'welcome' course which is put together by Evangelism Ministries and a couple of wonderful women I know!

There weren't all that many people there but it was still really great. There is a lot of work to be done but it's exciting that the church is taking the necessary steps they need to to improve welcoming and make people feel loved and cared for.

It's always hard starting a new church when you don't really know anyone, I have struggled with this more than SP. I think because I am an 'out there' person I crave friendship and bounce of it, not having it has been tough. Now I know that this takes time and on Sunday I did get to meet quite a few lovely women- I just don't really know any of them really well yet. Hopefully we will be starting in a bible study soon, which I am sure will help with getting to know more people on a deeper level.

If you think about it please pray for us as we adjust to our new church and as we meet new people.

So the first night was good and it was good that as SP and I are newcomers we were able to share our experience of being welcomed into this church, we looked not only at what happens once someone comes inside the building but we also looked at the exterior of the building - is it welcoming - is it 'open', do people know you are there, etc.

We started the night off with a bible study from 1 John 4:7-20, I thought it was great to start off with the word of God and to be challenged on how we ought to love, it helped put the evening and welcoming into perspective - in light of the fact that God loved us, he loved us so much he sent his Son to die for us, that love comes from God, God is love, we love because he loved us first, that His love is made complete in us and that if we don't love our brother we cannot love God.

We can't meet again or a couple of weeks, but I am looking forward to engaging in more conversations and ideas in how we might make our church a people loving, welcoming place for people to learn about God and worship. Please pray for our churches that we might put others first, that we might be willing to step out of our comfort zones, that we might be alert to the people around who might be new or on their own and that God might lay it on our hearts to love as he has loved us.

3 comments:

Christine said...

so glad you're enjoying the course Nix, it certainly is an excellent course.

Anonymous said...

hoping and praying this gets better for you - being new at a church is always hard and it takes time to form friendships, but rest assured that you will get there, lovely!!!

PRaying for you!

-love Soph

kristina said...

I can relate to that. I have been church hopping quite a bit. It is great that they want to make a priority of welcoming people. It is nice to go to a Worship Service and feel like the members really want you there.