Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Nov/93

Contributor - Jim Moerman

Title - Ideas That Work

Topic - Outreach

"We have visitors coming to our church from time to time but usually they don't stay long enough for us to meet them."

The worship service is a great opportunity to meet with the Lord, but unless allowances are made for fellowship after the morning service, newcomers will seldom meet or integrate with the people of God. That's why it is a common practice in churches that care about meeting newcomers to incorporate a "fellowship hour" immediately following the worship service, usually in another part of the building, but possibly in the sanctuary itself.

It is worth every bit of time, money and energy to implement a regular fellowship time following the service. The Pastor can invite newcomers to this opportunity either at the end of the worship service or at the door as he greets the exiting members.

First a word of caution. Please DO NOT conduct a fellowship hour unless you are planning to sincerely greet, reach out and minister to newcomers that come across your path! It would be better not to have a fellowship time at all than to invite people to a cold, clique-filled gathering of stuffy saints!

The congregation should be encouraged regularly to look for newcomers and those standing off by themselves. One of the most common complaints is that churches are not very friendly and, sadly, it is sometimes true. One pastor humorously offers the congregation "points" for being friendly to a newcomer:

- handshake (10 points)

- exchange of names (15 points)

- brief conversation (25 points)

- invitation to lunch (50 points)

In this health conscious day, it is advisable to offer more than simply coffee and tea at this fellowship time. Many adults are trying to consume less caffeine, so fruit juices or even ice water (cheap!) would be in order. Members can bring muffins or desserts to add to the fellowship festivities.

An important feature of the fellowship area is the Information Booth, staffed by a warm, knowledgeable individual. Again, it is worth the money and effort to either buy or construct such a piece of furniture. At this booth, people can ask their questions, pick up pieces of literature cassette tapes or even a transcript of the morning's message. Or, it can be a place to sign up for a Pastor's Welcome Class, a Women's Dessert Night, a Home Group Bible Study, a Men's Breakfast or a children's event.

Newcomers will not be slipping through the cracks as easily when we make the effort to set up a fellowship time. And the regularly attending saints will benefit too.

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