This blog article was written by Ron Moore, Minister of Education at First Baptist Church in Clarksville, Tennessee.
When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. Acts 21:17 HCSB
When Debbie and I moved to Jefferson City, Missouri, for me to serve on the staff of the Missouri Baptist Convention, we had the unique experience of actually selecting a church. Prior to that time I had served on staff at each church we attended. We visited several churches to determine which church we should join. As we began the process of visiting churches and determining where God was leading us to join, part of our evaluation was based on how friendly the people were. We wanted to be a part of a church where we felt welcomed.
Paul indicated that the brothers in Jerusalem warmly welcomed him and his party when they arrived in Jerusalem. Every church and Sunday School class should evaluate how well they welcome guests and work diligently to make sure every member and guest feels welcomed. Specific people should be designated as greeters, so as to greet and introduce any guests to other class members.
Challenge-On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being low and 10 being high, rate your Sunday School class and church on the job they are doing in making guests feel welcomed. Make a commitment to being a greeter for your Sunday School class or church.
