Does St. Andrew’s have a program to welcome new people to our church?
It may not be the most known thing going on at St. Andrew’s and it is hardly the newest, since it has been going on for a very long time but yes, we do have a welcome program for newcomers. Here at St. Andrew’s it keeps evolving as we find new things to do to help new people feel more comfortable with their new church home and as time goes on we will get better at it.
The Episcopal Church has always been welcoming. It’s no secret that 70% of us were not born into the Episcopal faith. Most of us come from other Christian denominations or from no church background at all. We are really a church of refugees. So what do we find so inviting? Maybe it is the “middle of the road” label the Episcopal Church has. Something between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. We have the reverence and rootedness of an ancient tradition alongside a clear devotion to the Bible and priesthood of all believers. It might be that we are a little wishy-washy in the way we think. We are willing to listen to both sides of an argument and find a way to compromise. That is why you will often hear that in the Episcopal Church “you don’t need to check your brains at the door” where open and honest dialogue is welcome.
A while back I gave a children’s talk about an old cowboy. He was in the city on Sunday morning and found himself outside the largest and most beautiful church he had ever seen and he decided to go in for the service. As he walked in the door no one said hello or welcomed him and as he walked further in no one made room for him in the pews or even looked at him. He noticed that everyone was dressed in expensive clothes, while he had on well-worn jeans, shirt and boots that spent many days in the saddle but they were clean and pressed. He sat there alone in the pew looking at his bible that was worn from reading it on the trail. The preacher got up and gave a sermon on heaven and hell and how much money the church needed for it’s good works and after the service the preacher came to the old cowboy and said;” before you come back again ask God what the proper attire is to come to this church”. The old cowboy was in the city for a while and he went to the same church the next Sunday. He was dressed the same way and again he was shunned. After the service the preacher came up to him and said I thought I asked you to ask God what the proper attire is for church? The old cowboy looked at him and said,” I did ask and he said he has never been in this church and wouldn’t know”.
Another story I’ve told is about a young man who had fallen on hard times. He was usually seen with long dirty hair, ragged clothes and no shoes to wear. He was often seen outside of church on Sunday mornings but he would never go in, he would just watch as people entered. Then one day after the service had started, he came in, to the surprise of everyone. The pews were crowded that Sunday and not finding a seat the young man walked to the front and sat down on the floor. The Sr. Warden, a gruff old man, got up from the pew where he was sitting and walked up to the young man, the church was quiet, not knowing what he was going to say. The Sr. Warden didn’t say a word, he just smiled at the young man, took his shoes off and sat down on the floor beside him. The people were stunned but after a moment people started getting up, leaving their shoes behind, they all sat on the floor with the young man. Which church would you want to attend?
What does St. Andrew’s do to welcome everyone? The first thing is what we do before anyone comes through our doors. No matter how you come into Shippensburg you will see a sign that says “The Episcopal Church Welcomes You” they’re everywhere. Next is our website, one of the best in the Episcopal Church that tells and shows you everything about St. Andrew’s. Then there is our Facebook page and we even have twitter. Although we may not be able to answer the phone when you call the answering system gives a friendly greeting and tells about our service times. When you do come in the door everyone is greeted by two friendly faces and there is a guest book that can be signed. We have three vergers here at St. Andrew’s and our main and most important job is the Ministry of Welcome. At the passing of the peace new people can be a little overwhelmed but I think that might be a good thing. When you leave Mother Barbara, one of the vergers and sometime others are there to see you off and we always offer a small bag of items, including a handmade set of Anglican Prayer Beads and a cool St. Andrew’s water bottle, to welcome people that may be visiting.
New people are always invited and we hope they take the time to come to our coffee hours, it is a great place and time to meet everyone. We try to have a newcomers dinner at least once a year, this is a good time to meet some of our vestry members , learn a little more about St. Andrew’s and have a good time. In the fall when new students are getting ready to start college a group goes to the University Chapel with other churches of the area to welcome the new students, we get to tell them about St. Andrew’s and invite them to visit.
I know that at times we may miss someone who is new or just visiting our church but I know everyone does their best to be welcoming when you see a new face. I think our newcomer program is alive and well and it will just keep getting better.