Last Monday evening more than 60 people in our church family attended a training workshop by international speaker and author Colin Marshall. Although primarily aimed at our welcoming teams – it was an open invitation for everyone.

What Colin highlighted for us is how critical every one of us is in seeing someone transferred from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of God’s Son. Our Sunday church gathering is our family lounge room that we invite outsiders to come into.

Did you know that every week there are visitors and newcomers in our Sunday services?  Here are a few of Colin’s thoughts about how we can help welcome outsiders into the kingdom

  • Pray about where you sit. Who would God have you sit next to today? Who can you encourage? Who can you introduce yourself to? Who can you welcome who might be a newcomer?
  • Invite someone to come to church. Many more people are willing to come to church than we are willing to invite.
  • Spend the first 10 minutes after the church service speaking with people who you do not know well or not at all.
  • Develop a nose for new people. Sit with them, introduce them to others – it’s all about genuine hospitality. You may have to postpone catching your friends until after the newcomers have been cared for.
  • Take the opportunity to minister to one another through prayer and/or through conversation. Don’t ask ‘what did you think about the sermon?’ Rather make a specific comment like ‘I   didn’t know  Abel was a prophet.  What makes someone a prophet?’

Colin reminded us that if we are to come to church with this type of servant mind-set we need to arrive early and stay late. We all have a role to play in seeing people transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son.

Colossians 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Scott Goode