Welcoming Conversations

Sometime during the past year, I had a conversation with someone who didn’t go up for communion. I asked if she would like us to bring communion to her; she declined, telling me why. I was delighted that she told me, and I told her it was perfectly fine and was so glad she was here with her husband. This couple later joined our church.

What was remarkable about this conversation is that it wasn’t long, and I didn’t try to convince her that First is a great place to belong. All I did, in our short conversation, was to make her feel welcomed here.

This isn’t the only conversation that has taken place in our church, where someone took the time to have a short conversation, making that someone feel welcome. I often hear from our new members that someone has taken the time to welcome them in worship or during the fellowship time between worship services.

We are all called to be welcoming. A warm smile, a handshake during passing the peace, inviting someone to sit at your table or asking to sit with them at their table. None of these things are hard to do, but we do need to take time to look around as we leave worship to see if we can have a welcoming conversation with someone we don’t know. Being known by someone is the best kind of welcoming, and it’s up to all of us to be that welcoming presence to those around us.

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