Appropriate and Helpful Hospitality to Those who are our Guests.
Different Elements of Greeting Include:
- Recognizing and acknowledging visitors.
- An appropriate and interested welcome.
- Clearly stated boundaries and worship norms.
- Functional and hospitable Coffee Hour
One Aspect of Greeting: How to Talk to Newcomers after Church
Think about tone, stance, and openness: conveyed through voice, hands, body language. You might try some of this on ‘old’ timers as well!
Introducing Yourself
Hi. I’m ________________ and I __________________________________________
- am the Rector of the Parish
- am a long-time member here
- have been here about 6 months.
- live in the neighborhood and have been here a few months.
- have two little children the same ages as yours.
Or (If you suspect they have visited a few times and you either can’t remember their name or haven’t met them….)
Hi. I recognize you but can’t recall your name. My name is ____________and I ______________
Following up with Open-ended Questions
- How did you come to us today? What brought you to us today? How did you find us?
- Tell me about you: Where do you live? How do you spend your time?
- How did it (the liturgy) go for you? (A good question that you can then follow up with something that asks more or builds on what the person says)
- The “or not” part of a question is very important – it opens up more conversation.
- Listen for subtle information and parts of their story that you are hearing
You should guide them to coffee hour, or if you’re already there, make sure that you engage them and invite at least TWO other people to join you in conversation. See the “Orienting” page for some ideas about how to begin showing a guest more about your space and leading them to know more about the identity of your church.