Skip to content
Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary
  • Apply
  • Visit
  • Request Info
  • MyMABTS
  • Give

Blog

Back to blogs
Recent Posts
  • Biblical Counseling: Centering on Christ in the Chaos
  • Is Your Church a Friendly Church?
  • Mid-America Alum Is Featured Preacher at Evangelism Conference—VIDEO
  • Our Great Commission Map and Compass
SUBSCRIBE TO NEW POSTS
Loading
Tags
  • church
  • church health
  • friendly church
  • guests
  • visitors
Related Stories
  • Is Your Church a Friendly Church?

    How well does your church do in welcoming guests? Discover four practical ways your church can be more intentional in making church visitors feel welcome.

    Keep Reading
  • Mid-America Alum Is Featured Preacher at Evangelism Conference—VIDEO

    The Evangelism + Church Health Conference, presented by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, featured Mid-America alumnus Dr. Ed Newton (MARE, 2000) in the keynote message on Monday evening, January 23, 2023.

    Keep Reading
Feb 14, 2023

Is Your Church a Friendly Church?

by Dr. John Mark Terry, Emeritus Professor of Missions
Friendly church
Share
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Some years ago, I served as the interim pastor of a county-seat First Baptist Church in Kentucky. One week I received a note from a woman who had visited our church. She told me that I was the only one who greeted her when she visited. Her note prompted two reactions in me. I was relieved that at least I had greeted her, but I felt dismayed that no one else had done so. In reaction, I shared this with the congregation both in a service and in the church newsletter. I encouraged them to greet all our church guests.

Well, how well does your church do in welcoming guests? I discussed this with Charles Wilson, who formerly served as Director of Church Evangelism for Texas Baptists. He said, “All churches think of themselves as friendly. The reality is that most members are friendly to their friends, but not to visitors.” When my wife and I moved to Texas in 2016, we sought a new church home. We visited several churches during our search. At one large church, not one person spoke to us, either before or after the service. We weren’t treated rudely; we were just ignored. To be fair, other churches we visited welcomed us warmly. In August of this year, we moved from Dallas County to Tarrant County (Fort Worth area). At the first church we visited, the only greeting we received was from the man who opened the door for us. At the second church we visited, we were greeting at the door, inside the door, and then again in the foyer. We joined the second church. The two unfriendly churches didn’t realize that they could have gained a trained Bible teacher and a dedicated tither and prayer warrior (my wife, Barbara). How many others have they lost due to their inattention?

Several years ago, Head and Shoulders shampoo sponsored an advertising campaign that featured the slogan—“You only have one chance to make a good impression.” That’s true in many areas of life, but it is especially true in church life. The American Restaurant Association reports that diners visiting a restaurant for the first time decide within 10 minutes whether they will return or not. The same holds true for church visitors. Your parking, signage, and greeters can make a good impression or a bad impression.

Well, what can you do at your church?

  • First, be intentional about greeting guests. Develop a plan that includes parking, clear signs, and cheerful greeters.
  • Second, make sure you have greeters assigned (and present) at the entrances to your building. There are training modules that will make them more effective.
  • Third, encourage your members to be alert to and active in welcoming guests. Most of our folks sit in the same place every Sunday. Ask one or two in each section to be responsible to welcome guests who sit in their section.
  • Last, strive to get contact information from guests. I realize this is a perennial challenge. The last church I served told guests that we had a gift for those who would turn in a guest card. The gift was a ceramic mug that had Central Baptist Church-A Place for You printed on the sides. That offer helped a lot in getting guest cards.

So, let me ask you again. How friendly is your church?

This blog article was originally published on sbcvoices.com.

John Mark Terry
Dr. John Mark Terry
About the Author: Dr. John Mark Terry

John Mark Terry is Emeritus Professor of Missions at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, and he serves as the Teaching Pastor at Central Baptist Church in Crandall, Texas. He earned a PhD at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, served with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention in Southeast Asia for 24 years, and later as Professor of Missions at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of eight books, many journal articles, and curriculum materials for Lifeway. He is married, and he and his wife, Barbara, have two children and five grandchildren. For fun he reads murder mysteries, cheers for the Kentucky Wildcats basketball team, and watches SEC football.

Navigate between stories
< Previous story
Next story >

Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary
  • 2095 Appling Road
  • Cordova, Tennessee 38016
  • Phone: 901-751-8453
  • Email: info@mabts.edu
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
Helpful Links
  • Library
  • Meet Our Faculty & Staff
  • Mid-America Blog
  • Events at Mid-America
  • Resources
  • Why Mid-America
  • Online
  • Experience Mid-America
  • Privacy Policy
  • Employment
  • Accessibility
  • Apply
  • Visit
  • Request Info
  • MyMABTS
  • Give
  • About
    • Our Core Values
    • Why Mid-America
    • Leadership
      • Meet Our Faculty & Staff
      • Board of Trustees
    • Resources
    • Social Media and More
    • Accreditation
    • Articles of Belief
      • Sufficiency of Scripture
    • History
    • Witness One:Seven
    • Alumni
    • Contact
  • Admissions & Aid
    • Application Process
      • Admissions Policies
      • International Students
      • Tuition and Fees
      • Financial Aid
        • Scholarships
        • Nelnet
    • Experience Mid-America
      • Admissions Team
      • Visit
      • Preview Day
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Academics
    • Master’s Programs
      • Master of Arts in Apologetics
        • Courses—MA in Apologetics
      • Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling
        • Courses—MA in Biblical Counseling
      • Master of Arts in Christian Ministries
        • Courses—MA in Christian Ministries
      • Master of Arts in Missiology and Intercultural Studies
        • Courses—MA in Missiology and Intercultural Studies
      • Master of Arts in Theology
        • Courses—MA in Theology
      • Master of Arts in Worship
        • Courses—MA in Worship
      • Accelerated Master of Divinity
        • Courses—Accelerated MDIV in Apologetics
        • Courses—Accelerated MDIV in Biblical Counseling
        • Courses—Accelerated MDIV in Christian Ministries
        • Courses—Accelerated MDIV in Missiology and Intercultural Studies
        • Courses—Accelerated MDIV in Missiology and Urban Church Planting
        • Courses—Accelerated MDIV in Pastoral Ministry
      • Master of Divinity in Apologetics
        • Courses—MDIV in Apologetics
      • Master of Divinity in Biblical Counseling
        • Courses—MDIV in Biblical Counseling
      • Master of Divinity in Christian Ministries
        • Courses—MDIV in Christian Ministries
      • Master of Divinity in Missiology and Intercultural Studies
        • Courses—MDIV in Missiology and Intercultural Studies
      • Master of Divinity in Pastoral Ministries
        • Courses—MDIV in Pastoral Ministries
      • Master of Divinity in Urban Church Planting
        • Courses—MDIV in Urban Church Planting
    • Doctoral Programs
      • Doctor of Ministry
        • Seminars—DMIN
      • Doctor of Philosophy
        • Seminars—PhD
    • Academic Resources
      • Academic Requirements
      • Academic Calendar
      • Course Catalog and Schedules
      • Registrar
    • Areas of Study
      • Apologetics Programs
      • Biblical Counseling Programs
      • Christian Ministries Programs
      • Missions Programs
      • Pastoral Ministries Programs
      • Theology Programs
    • Nontraditional Programs
      • Course Auditing
      • Mid-America Prison Initiatives
      • Institute for Nouthetic Studies
      • Counseling by The Book
    • Online Programs
    • Faculty
    • Library
      • Library–General Information
      • Library–Research Resources
    • Mid-America Global
  • Student Life
    • Student Involvement
      • Chapel and Report Hour
    • New Students
    • Housing
    • Bookstore
    • Mid-America Store
    • Campus Technology
    • Campus Safety
      • Student Policies and Procedures
    • Parking
    • Living in Memphis
    • Career Center
  • News & Events
    • News
      • Media Relations
    • Events at Mid-America

Helpful Links

  • Library
  • Meet Our Faculty & Staff
  • Mid-America Blog
  • Events at Mid-America
  • Resources
  • Why Mid-America
  • Online
  • Experience Mid-America
Social
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
Popular searches
  • Financial Aid
  • Academics
  • Registrar
  • Meet Our Faculty & Staff
  • News
  • Home