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Visiting Churches

Reflecting on Church #41: Reach Out to Visitors vs Hang Out With Friends

Consider Who You Interact with at Church

With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I can reflect more on the complete experience. Today, I’ll add to my thoughts about Church #41.

Aside from the usher, we had limited significant contact with the people at this church. (Shaking hands and saying “welcome” is not a significant contact; it’s a trivial one.)

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

The one woman we connect with is not a member of this church and usually attends another one, but she does go here from time to time.

This is not the first instance when our prime connection at a church is through a nonmember or another visitor.

Too often, visitors are ignored by most church members. They are either unaware of those who are visiting or assume someone else will make the effort.

Reach Out

While it’s correct to note that visitors know fewer people and therefore have more incentive to reach out, the sad opposite is that members know more people and therefore have little incentive to reach out to those they don’t know.

Hanging Out

Hanging out with our friends is the easy thing to do and the most natural. It’s also the most limiting. If we only spend time with people we know, how will we ever meet more people?

If a church truly wants to grow, connecting with visitors is the easiest place to start. Why then do so many churches fail to do this?

[See my reflections about Church #40 and Church #42 or start with Church #1.]

My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

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