Sunday, June 1, 2014

How Not To Discourage First Timers Of A Christian Church

By Lila Bryant


Everyone has the freedom to choose their own path when it comes to interpreting faith. It may even involve trials and errors, meeting new people and finally making a choice. As a Christian Church in Chester Ca congregation, you can expect first timers to show up regularly. Be careful how you act around them, as there are common mistakes that discourage them from coming back.

Never turn away people especially when it is their first time. Be accommodating and tell them of different alternatives to take for the meantime. Be realistic, but also have the heart to go out of your way. These people want the assurance that they are welcome, so try to give them at least that.

Some people just cannot help but backbite one of their own. Still, it is unacceptable to badmouth someone from the congregation just because of your own prejudices. Never take any issue out to the public. Instead, fix it among yourselves and be man enough to talk reasonably and with resolve.

Never question the presence of someone in your congregation. Your disbelief only proves that you are judgmental and insecure. Let people be, and leave them to their own praise and worship. You cannot do the selecting for God inasmuch as you cannot turn away those who long to hear the word and bask under the presence of clarity.

First timers who want to serve should also have the freedom to do so, granted that they be given the opportunity. You cannot turn away someone just because he or she is not yet a fully fledged member. It is natural for people to desire to help, which is why having a criterion for this is another form of being selective.

Some first timers are afraid to come forward because they might be grilled with questions that they do not feel like answering right there and then. So, respect private space and focus on welcoming newbies into the congregation. Maintain friendly ties with people and appreciate their presence. This will help them feel more at ease with the presence of everyone.

If someone expresses his or her desire to join small group gatherings, immediately find a way to accommodate such request. You cannot just say that the next available opening is in a month or two. The point of forming these groups is to create clusters wherein people can join in and have spiritual support regardless of member count and other minute details.

The biggest mistake that you could commit is telling someone that he or she is wrong for thinking through a certain way. Yes, people come from different backgrounds and have adopted certain beliefs, but it does not automatically mean that they are wrong. Proper discourse will clear the air and hopefully, everyone will learn the value of respect.

Leaders have to keep their members in check because it says a lot about the whole community. Despite the difficulties with managing people, everyone should at least meet halfway and decide to take initiative when the going gets tough. Most importantly, this oneness should promote love for others because the congregation will be nothing without its people.




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