This past summer I had two experiences of being new. First, I joined a climbing gym - I am a complete novice when it comes to rock climbing. The second experience - signing my kid up for a fall sports team; also something I have zero experience with.
When I walked into the climbing gym for the first time I thought to myself, “Oh! This must be what a non-Lutheran feels like when they step into our church!” I wasn’t sure if I was wearing the right clothes, I didn’t have the right shoes, I didn’t know where the locker room was or that I needed chalk for my hands and I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb!
The gym though, is designed to integrate newcomers. They anticipate that there will be people who come, who do not know what they are doing. There was a class that I had to take before I could do certain things not because the gym was interested in gatekeeping but because without the class, I wouldn’t know how to participate safely and fully. The instructor was calm, clear, and kind and gave us ample opportunities to practice. We were given a tour of the gym and were taught how to use all of the equipment. We were instructed on what to do if we showed up and needed a climbing partner.
As a millennial church goer, I’ve always been resistant to anything that smacks of salesmanship when it comes to how we welcome people at church. If a dear soul decides to spend their Sunday morning with us, I don’t want to come at them like the sales guy that stands in the aisle at Target trying to get me to sign up for something I don’t want! I confess that I’ve often judged churches who have an overly-welcoming kind of welcome, as if the only reason they might be that way is to try to “make a sale” and get a new member.
But as I joined the gym, I realize that explicit clear, kind orientation is a gift not a gate. Anything understated would have left me lingering in the uncomfortable fog of my own disorientation.
Maybe having a clear and overt way of welcoming people isn’t about us trying to get something from newcomers, but dignifying the time and effort that people have made to come and try something new by worshipping with us!
Which brings me to my second experience of being new - signing my kid up for sports. Elijah was excited, Marcus did the research. There was a form to fill out and a $100 fee to pay. They did not tell us when the practices or the games took place. Weeks passed with no communication.
A few weeks later, Marcus got an informal group message about the first game taking place on the upcoming Sunday. It turned out that all games take place on Sundays and since “that’s when games have always been”, the coach didn’t think it was information worthy of clarifying to newcomers. Not because we’re taking a principled stance, but because we happen to work at that time, Elijah won’t be playing that sport.
I thought to myself, “I hope this isn’t ever what anyone experiences at our church!”
The council set a goal this year to give some intentional thought to how we welcome newcomers and in the coming months, we will be rolling out a new three-class orientation for those considering joining our church with the intention of giving these good folks the information they need to participate fully, the tools they need to dive more deeply into the Lutheran faith and spirituality, and a depth of relationship with each other and existing members of the church.
This congregation does a wonderful job of welcoming folks. I’ve seen you go out of your way to greet a newcomer, to make sure visitors have what they need, inviting them to sit with you or to join you for fellowship time. It’s a vulnerable thing that newcomers do - coming to a new place for worship! Let’s continue to honor the risk they take with a welcome that is clear and kind!
Peace,
Pastor Bekki