How does your church welcome people? Is the welcome little more than the initial encounter, or does the lifestyle of your church bring new people into Christian community, disciple them and send them out?
The churches of "Open Hearts, Open Doors, and Open Minds" are moving from "Open" as an adjective to "Open" as a verb. They understand that Welcoming people on Sundays has everything to do with how we make people feel. And they understand that welcoming ministries — both inside and outside church walls — are part of vital congregations.
A welcoming and hospitable climate begins at the curb, continues into the heart of the congregation, and moves outside church walls into the community. The ministry of welcoming is the responsibility of the entire church family, and a way of ministering to people, seven days a week, in all walks of life.
The Welcoming Ministry Online Course prepares individuals to discern what it means to be a welcoming congregation, how to incorporate welcoming ministries into every part of church life, both inside and outside the church walls, and stay up-to-date with experiences, resources and tools from United Methodist Agencies and members focused on welcoming ministry and radical hospitality.
QUICK START TOOLS
- Comfort Checklist (PDF, 146 KB).
- Friendliness Audit (PDF, 122 KB).
- Guidelines for Greeters (PDF, 121 KB).
- Guidelines for Ushers (PDF, 121 KB).
- Ideas That Show We Care (PDF, 192 KB).
- Inviting Practice Sheet(PDF, 140 KB).
- Mystery Guest Audit (PDF, 212 KB).
- Walk-through Assessment (PDF, 139 KB).
- What Is Your Welcoming Quotient? (PDF, 172 KB).
- Welcoming Tips (PDF, 141 KB).