Thoughts on welcoming

Here's a post by Pastor Keith Anderson on welcoming newcomers to church. I first saw it on Living Lutheran, a collection of stories, blogs, and other connections for ELCA types and others.

I don't necessarily agree with every detail, but I think these "Top 10 Things We've Learned About Welcoming Newcomers to Our Church" are largely quite helpful. I found myself nodding most vigorously at these:

Enable People to Participate Right Away

Our congregation used to have an unspoken waiting period for participation. People would regularly be members for months or years before being asked to take a leadership role. Now, we encourage people to get involved before they are members. We believe that you don’t need to be a “member” before you can start living out God’s calling in your life.

Understand People’s Passions

Listen for the way God is calling people to live our their faith - at work, home, and/or in the church. Set people free to follow God’s call.

Whatcha think?