St Davids Clergy Conference 3 : Church is a welcoming community

1. St Davids Clergy Conference3: Church is a welcoming community A culture of invitation, welcome and integration

2. Everybody Welcome • Theological base – Trinity as community • Gospel as welcome into the Trinity’s own community as friends of God • Radical inclusivity & hospitality as core gospel values • God draws people to himself, its our job to include them in his community and not to rest until they become contributing disciples

3. Everybody Welcome • The Sower and the seed (Luke 8) • The Prodigal Son (Luke 15) • The Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor 5) • All one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3) • I was a stranger and you invited me in (Matthew 25) • Practise hospitality (Romans 12)

4. Ephesians ch 2v11-22 • In Christ Jesus you who were once far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ • You are no longer foreigners and aliens but fellow-citizens with God’s people & members of God’s household • You are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit

5. What is the biggest single reason why churches don’t grow ?

6. The people who try us out Don’t Stay!!!!!!!!!!

7. Some Statistics • Nearly 90% of people who try our churches fail to become regular church members • It is not always their fault - sometimes • God sends us the people • But we ignore them and they go away again • The sad story of my wife

8. There are lots of ways of being unfriendly and insensitive…………

9. Some say he used to be The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Chauffeur

10. Some say he is a retired Archdeacon From the planet Zog

11. All we know is he’s called Photo Stig

12. And he has A very fast shutter speed

13. Photo Stig is seeking a welcoming church near you With wide open doors

14. So which of the following welcoming churches Did Photo Stig choose to join?

15. The welcome in more detail

16. Finding out what’s happening

17. So did Photo Stig Fall foul of the Cathedral Parking Police?

18. Is it a case of…. Stig Martyr ?

19. Fear not, Stig has found a welcome In the Rose and Crown !

21. Course Content • There is a members’ manual and some pre-reading for each session • Some course material is delivered by DVD • There are also exercises to do, such as mystery-worshipping, helping us look at our churches with a stranger’s eye • And a series of checklists to fill out and put together to identify strengths, weaknesses, and priorities for action

22. The Course • For every church member – it only takes one to spoil a welcome • Four sessions – Discover – Experience the plant – Experience the people – Belong • Welcome is a long term business over months and years

23. Four outcomes from the course • Every church member looking at their part in the welcome their church offers • The setting up of a ‘Welcome Team’ in the church • Identifying priorities for decision and action by church councils • Focussed prayer for God to draw people to the church

24. Prayer and Growth • It’s God’s job to grow the church – ‘I will build my church’, ‘The Lord added to their number daily’, ‘I planted, Apollos watered but God made it grow’ – but he prefers us to get involved & ask him to work • It’s our job to pray for, invite, welcome, integrate and disciple the people God sends us • So pray that God will send the people and prepare to welcome them!

25. The Everybody Welcome Prayer Heavenly Father, you have welcomed us into your kingdom and your heart’s desire is to draw every human being to yourself. Grant us clear eyes to see people as you see them, sensitive feet to stand in their shoes, and warm smiles to welcome them in your name. Give us such generous hearts that our church becomes a foretaste of heaven where every soul you send us finds their loving home in the community of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

26. The Checklist System • You have a checklist on which to record your own view of how well your church scores on each aspect of the welcome business • When your sheet is combined with the others from your church you get an overall score and can see where you differ from each other

27. The Checklist System • When you have been through all 17 checklists you can identify the particular strengths and weaknesses of your church • This will enable you to develop your strengths and pay attention to your weaknesses • But it will only work if you are brutally honest about your church!!!!!!

28. The Church Handicap Hurdles • Discovering you are there • Meeting church members • Attending an initial service or event • Initial welcome and friendliness • Making new friends • Small groups and belonging • Making a contribution, full identity

29. The Church Handicap Hurdles • Discovering you exist 2 • Meeting church members 3 • Attending an initial service or event 7 • Initial welcome and friendliness 0 • Making new friends 18 • Small groups and belonging 13 • Making a contribution, full identity 0

30. The Church Handicap Hurdles • Discovering you exist 7 • Meeting church members 7 • Attending an initial service or event 25 • Initial welcome and friendliness 9 • Making new friends 32 • Small groups and belonging 44 • Making a contribution, full identity 24

31. The Church Handicap Hurdles • Discovering you are there 3 • Meeting church members 8 • Attending an initial service or event 7 • Initial welcome and friendliness 7 • Making new friends 45 • Small groups and belonging 0 • Making a contribution, full identity 0

32. And now I’ll tell you a story….The story of St Alphege Seasalter • They asked me ‘How can we grow?’ • I said ‘train how to integrate the people God is sending you and pray for him to send you some more’ • So they wrote a prayer in collect form asking God to send them new people they could welcome • And did the ‘Everybody Welcome’ course – something what I wrote myself

33. St Alphege Seasalter • They offered the course to their congregation for four consecutive weeks at three occasions – Wed & Fri evenings and Sun afternoons, to suit all diaries and give nobody an excuse • 130 came out of an Electoral Roll of 240 • They did it properly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

34. St Alphege Seasalter • A small group analysed the checklists and the flip chart notes made by participants • This gave the PCC priorities for improving the welcome & integration of newcomers • A ‘Welcome 2’ team was appointed and did the training in ‘Everybody Welcome’ • The sidesmen became the ‘Welcome 1’ team • The Welcome 2 team began in Feb 2011

35. St Alphege Seasalter • They started using the prayer every service and noticed a large, sudden increase in the number of newcomers • They got so swamped they decided to stop using the prayer for a bit while the Welcome 2 group caught up with the backlog!!!!

36. St Alphege Seasalter –how the Welcome 2 group works • 2 on duty each service (9 & 10.45) • They speak to newcomers, get their contact details and introduce them to others • During the week they deliver a high quality ‘Welcome to St Alphege’ booklet/leaflet update every three months with coming events • One team member enters contact details etc on a colour coded spreadsheet • Only certain personality types need apply for that job

37. St Alphege Seasalter –how the Welcome 2 group works • Every two months they hold a ‘welcome’ Sunday lunch on church premises after the 10.45 service • They invite all recent newcomers plus matched numbers & ages of existing members to meet plus church leaders to talk about the church & answer questions • People are invited to join small groups

38. How have things gone? • In the last 12 months they have recorded 133 newcomers on their colour coded spreadsheet • 79 adults and 54 children • So they are mainly attracting young families

39. How have things gone? adults children Now coming min monthly 45 25 Not sure yet 17 13 Not attached 7 8 Too soon to tell 10 8 Total 79 54 So the retention rate is between 53% & 89% I think it will settle down to 60-70%

40. Growth creates problems • By the autumn their main 10.45 service had got uncomfortably full • So they re-jigged service times and added a third Sunday morning service – 10.10 for half an hour, all age. 9 became 8.45 and 10.45 became 11am • So far the 10.10 has averaged 77 people • But 11am has only gone down by 10, so they are still crowded!