What are your guest saying about your church?

When was the last time you invited someone over to your house? What happens when that person gets to the door? I cannot remember the last time that I was surprised that someone I had either invited or wanted to come over was greeted with surprise and made to feel as if they were not wanted.


Why do we do this with our churches? How often do we treat a guest when they come into our churches as if we are stunned they have come to visit. We scramble to get them a welcome bag or dust off the cup that we have in the corner.


I do not think that as a church we see this is how we act. In our minds we act as if we really want these people, and I believe that we do, the problem is that is not how our guests are experiencing this time. They will walk in and feel as if we do not care enough and are definitely not ready for a guest that you want to have come, does come.

With Restore church, people have asked that it must be easy to be ready and excited for new people to be coming. As the Connections Pastor, I am having to continually push this idea of being ready and expectant for our guests each week for myself and our welcome team. I love the idea of helping break down the walls with people as they enter our churches. For so many people the first 20 min of walking to a church and into the doors are the most important for that guest to either want to come back or not. If this is the case then our welcome team and people in our lobby are some of the most important touch points of their visit.


For us it has helped that from top to bottom of our lead team we have people that are focused on making the guest experience one of the best it can be. We want people to meet Jesus and in doing this we want to take away as many distractions that are even in the area. What is distracting your guests from meeting Jesus? How is your welcome team doing? Are you ready for people? Are you excited? Are you praying for new people to come and meet Jesus?


I would recommend getting feedback from people that are outside of your church to see what they really think of how you are treating new guests. I suggest that you have someone secret shop your church, maybe three of four people over a month span of time.


Be ready! Be Excited! I have to re-center myself each week so that I can be ready each week.

In a pit with a lion...

It is odd when you are feeling like you are being chased? I remember as a teen playing capture the flag at night on a college campus. When I knew someone was coming after me the last thing I wanted to do was turn around and go after them.

Our fears in life can be overwhelming at times. In my life I tend to be this way in many areas of my life. I have found ways to attack this and it comes from an odd portion of scripture.

In 2 Samuel 23 the writer is talking about the men that go to battle with King David. As you might expect he has the best of the best, but a few of them are his main men, his mighty men, as it were. They give the resume of these men in this chapter and one warrior Benaiah has a really crazy resume.

The story picks up in verse 20 by telling it like this:

Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors.

Did you catch that? He was being tracked by a lion, it falls into a pit, and he goes back after it, jumps into said pit, and kills it. He climbs out.

Far to often in my life I do not go after my fears and take them out when I have the chance. I run away hoping my "lion" just stays where it is at in the pit. However it was just temporary and in no time I am being chased again by my fears.

Secondly, I have started to surround myself with mighty warriors. I was asked why people need community or church. This is why, King David is stronger with his mighty men and valiant warriors. I am stronger with my mighty men and valiant warriors walking with me in life.

So what is the lion that is chasing you? What will you do when it falls into a pit? Continue to run and hope it does not return? What about jumping into the pit? Maybe grabbing a few of your warriors and going after this. Calling on your Abba to go after this lion with you. I believe we are better together because we are made for community.

This week:
Find one or two mighty men/women to walk with you in battle.
Identify the lion of fear/worry/doubt that is chasing you.

Ryan

Refusing to live...

Many of you know that I work in hospice. I have been working as a hospice chaplain in Iowa for a year and a half. It has been full of good days and difficult ones. During this time we have been part of a church plant in Marshalltown, IA. While here we have had the chance to meet some great people. Something is there, the idea of refusing to live. This does not mean that physically they are giving up. What this does mean is that the people around us are just there, some of us are half in but in reality they are not really living in all that they are called to. I have lived this way at times in my life, only half way with God. What this really looks like in our lives is refusing to live...I have at times lived yet not lived out what God has called me to.

In Revelations 3:16 we are told that we are to either be hot or cold. That God does not want us to be on the fence with what we are or where we are going. What he is telling the people, is that God wants them to live. When I dug into this I really started to see what God wanted for me. I started to understand who God really wanted me to be. That there was more to life than just doing things my way. That I was called to be HOT or COLD for Christ. 

Are we going to be the HOT water that brings healing to those around us. To be the hot springs of warmth and soothing to those around us that are in need of healing. I have been there, I have been around those in my life that have prayed with me and walked with me as I needed someone to help me heal and be RESTORED. 

Or was I going to be a refreshing blast of cold water on a hot day. I remember growing up on the farm and needing a cold drink of water on a hot day. What is great is when you are living your life out for Christ and you get to breath this type of refreshing life into a someone's life. 

Since you are neither hot or cold I am going to spit you out of my mouth. -God (Revelations 3:16). This is what Refusing to Live looks like. I have lived like this and at times I need to check my life to see where I am at. One of the great things that I have had a chance to witness is getting to know people that are near death. They have nothing to worry about but living. They have shown me what it looks like live a life. 

I challenge you to try it for one week and see what happens. Give your life over to God and move from refusing to live to a place where you can live a life that is going to bring healing or refreshing life into a life around you.

Pastor Ryan