It has been a while since my last blog. You know how it is, life can easily carry you away and work can prevent you from finding the time to another entry. But alas on my afternoon off before going on a residential tomorrow i find the time. I try to keep my entries brief, and probably wont cover anywhere near all that i want to cover but here goes:
For those who do not know, as part of my University course i am required to go on full time placement for 5 weeks. I am in the middle of this placement as i am writing this. I have migrated up north to my temporary home in Manchester. Whilst i have been here (this is the start of my 3rd week) i have had two interesting experiences. Going to church on my own. Which has proved to be a very beneficial experience thinking ahead.
I do not know if you have ever done this yourself but it is a strange experience going to a church for a service and not knowing if you will know anyone else who is going. But this i have experienced each of the last two Sundays. I have been attending a church, which i am continually told is a very good church at identifying and welcoming new people. Now i am sure most of you know where this is going. In my two times of going to this church i have been one fo the first to arrive both times, found a seat and waited and observed to see if anyone would venture to speaking to me. Now i welcome that I, a 6"5 man is not the most welcoming and unintimidating of people. I did nothing to suggest that i was occupied or otherwise engaged, i sat (without even looking at my phone) and waited. And both times not one person has spoken to me. Well, correction, the first time i bumped into a couple i knew so they said hi (after the service), but i couldn't help but wonder:
'If i was a non-Christian who had braved venturing into the church how would i feel if not one person came and spoke to me?'
It is uite uncomfortable as a Christian in that situation but as a non-Christian it may be enough to make me look elsewhere (if anywhere) and not return. Now i am nto saying that every person should notice if one new person comes in and all go and speak to them, but i am saying between a group there should be someone who notices a new person and can then either themselves initiate contact or find someone else to do so. I am aware this may all just be an ideal fantasy but in a Church which i am constantly told is very good at welcoming new people, i have not felt overly welcome.
I do not know what to suggest to make a succinct and perfect way of making new people feel welcome, and it is possible that i am just one who slipped through this church's net, but i am confident there are many nationally, let alone internationally, who slip through the net without a single person noticing they ever were there. If they have done their part by coming (the harder part if you ask me) then surely we can do our part by noticing.
Jesus came for the lost not for the saved, and we are very good at preaching about that for when we are outside the church walls, but how about we for once live it out within the church walls, and yes socialising and talking to your friends is good, but we want to do kingdom work don't we????
