The importance of greeting visitors

Driving back a few weeks ago from Polishing the Pulpit on a Wednesday night, two of my sons and I decided to attend Bible classes with a congregation en route to the airport from which we would fly home the following morning.  It was a congregation about the size of Bear Valley.  The class was well-taught, biblical, and interesting.  After the class, there was a brief intermission before a devotional period.  After the closing prayer, the boys and I stood and smiled at several, three extroverts looking for the opportunity to greet brethren before we had to get back on the road.  A great many of the members were making a dash for their cars to get home.  Several were swimming past us.  Only as we were making our exit did one brother half-heartedly, after we made a very deliberate approach toward him, greet us.

Fortunately for this congregation, I was not a non-Christian or struggling or sensitive Christian.  For whatever good this church may accomplish, they flunked in welcoming the outsiders who were among them.  Churches, like people, may have bad days, but the stakes are high and the impression made upon us was lasting.

It also left me mortified at the thought that anyone would ever be among us for one of our assemblies and leave with the same bad taste in his or her mouth.  I know the excuses we may use-"I had people to see and things to accomplish," "I didn't know they were a visitor," "I wouldn't know what to say," "that's not my 'job,'" "that's not my talent," and the like.  But balance those sentiments with the potentially harmful, lasting, and negative impression we may leave on one in need of a connection that may lead to their salvation or much-needed encouragement.  Did you know we had a young man visit with us last night, a Christian brother who is in town taking a short course toward his engineering degree?  Dave Chamberlin spotted him standing alone in the back of the auditorium, in the middle of a crowd many of whom we both watched just walk past him.  Did you know he will be back at services on Wednesday night, before returning to a neighboring state to continue his higher education?  Dave spent quite a while talking with him, as did Michael Sharp.  How wonderfully this commends their warm-hearted spirit.  Maybe others met and visited with him, but why not let us set our minds to being a congregation renowned for bombarding our visitors with time and attention?  Next week, we have a golden opportunity through our lectureship-a time in which we will be inundated with "outsiders."

Clint Stephens is the master at this.  He never assumes others will greet our visitors.  As a shepherd, he's responsible for the flock but he has no greater responsibility than anyone else for greeting visitors.  If you will seek out and welcome our visitors, it will be the means of your spiritual growth and a tangible way to be a servant of Christ.  Let us be resolved that, on "our watch," no one will leave one of our assemblies feeling invisible!