Confessions of a Church Visitor
10 Jan
It’s Sunday morning… and I don’t want to go to church.
I know how that sounds considering my calling and my love for the local church. I can’t explain how it is that I feel this way. But over the past 8 weeks my family has attended other LifeChurch campuses and other churches in our area. Until God reveals our next ministry assignment, we’re looking for a new home to settle into. But that’s easier said than done.
The places we’ve been don’t feel like home. So we consider attending yet another church, yet I’m faced with this one thought…
I don’t want to be the visitor again.
I don’t want to fill out more paperwork to get my kids into kids church. I dont want to be unfamiliar with the process, the culture or the layout.
Where to find the coffee.
Where to find the bathrooms.
I don’t want to answer the standard questions,
Have you ever been here before?
Are you from the area?blah, blah, blah
The fact is… I’ll get over myself and we’ll attend church this morning. I would miss it if we didn’t. But I thought I’d share a moment of transparency with you in hopes of reminding all of us of the internal battle a person can have when they take a risk and visit your church. I’m not suggesting that everyone goes through this. But I doubt I’m the only one.
I don’t have answers to this challenge. The fact is, we can only remove so many barriers from a guest experience. But we can certainly be reminded that people take a risk when visiting your church for the first time.
What can you do to make that experience extend beyond informational and make it comfortable.
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You’ve just described the feeling I’ve had over and over again. I’m still there since moving to Norman. I think those thoughts and then analyze my feeling towards that, thinking maybe I’m too hard and too judgmental. And then I end up at Church Online feeling lazy for NOT going to one of the other churches where I didn’t feel welcome. So it’s great, yes, to hear it from someone who’s always made me feel welcome at church. Thank you, Gina.
Plus the difference that I don’t have transportation and even in the parking lot and walking down the street folks don’t go beyond themselves. Do I look that scary?
My prayers are with you, Gina, always.
You are so not the only one! You know we dealt with that last year when we visited other places for 6 mos. There was a huge dread that fell over us all on Sunday mornings. But, it was an EXCELLENT reminder of what it’s like to be a visitor and I believe we are much more sensitive to that now.
Great thoughts, Gina! You forget what it might be like for someone visiting a church… especially if it’s someone who’s just moved to the area or someone who is trying to find a church. Interesting things to think about. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences as you do some church visiting.
Well-written and all the more reason for us to do the job of the church..Matthew 28:18-20…
love u
tris
Gina-as I have visited several churches in the past few weeks, I have realized some of the annoying things to this too. The number 1 thing that bigs me? The child info form! LOL this is funny to me because I know all to well the importance of that info for a church.
We aren’t looking to settle into a church, but learn. I’ve started a sheet off do’s and don’ts from each church. Knowing that I have learned something from each visit is exciting and makes it feel worth it
Good thoughts, Good reminder! It definitely stinks being the “new kid” it’s just like being that awkward 12 year old walking in the cafeteria on the first day…only worse because those darn “Christians” are so judgmental…. ” What if I’m not dressed right? Or don’t have the right bible?or don’t know where to go? Or don’t know where to sit? … Oh well, better just stay home!
So funny. When I was between ministry jobs I went and visited a local church in Keller the first Sunday I was free. I’m generally an extrovert, but in a situation where I don’t know anyone, I can get completely overwhelmed. This is something I’m working to overcome, but inwardly I am begging that someone will come to talk to me because I feel totally moronic standing in a fairly busy lobby all by myself. I don’t know what to do with my hands. Do I just walk up and talk to someone? Should I go use the bathroom for the 10th time? Yeah, being a visitor brings good perspective. This was a good reminder Gina. I need to go and be a visitor ever other month or so just to keep this fresh.