“You shall love (the stranger) as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19:34).
Now, in all fairness, most churches are eager to receive newcomers and want them to feel at home and even consider joining. And the worship bulletins reflect that. They carry announcements of receptions to meet the pastors, the occasional luncheon for newcomers to learn about the church and get their questions answered, and free materials in the foyer.
No church willingly turns its nose up at newcomers, at least none that I know of. But that is the effect of some of the things we do. Here is my list of ten ways churches signal newcomers they are not wanted.
1. You arrive to find the front door locked.
One church where I was to preach has a lovely front facade which borders on the sidewalk. The front doors are impressive and stately. So, after parking to the side of the building, I did what I always do: walked to the front and entered as a visitor would.
Except I didn’t go in.
The doors were locked. All of them.
After walking back around the side and entering from the parking lot, I approached an usher and asked about the locked door. “No one comes in from that entrance,” he said. “The parking lot is to the side.”
I said, “What about walk-ups? People from the neighborhood who come across the street.”
He said, “No one does that.”
He’s right. They stay away because the church has told them they’re not welcome.
One church I visited had plate glass doors where the interior of the lobby was clearly visible from the front steps. A table had been shoved against the doors to prevent anyone from entering that way. I did not ask why; I knew. The parking lot was in the rear. Regulars parked back there and entered through those doors.
That church, in a constant struggle for survival, is its own worst enemy. They might as well erect a sign in front of the church that reads, “First-timers unwelcome.”
2. They open the entrance late.