I’ve found myself pondering lately the different arenas where the Holy Spirit has prompted me to learn people’s names. It began when we moved to Greenville in August of 2011, As soon as we moved into our house on Plum Street, I made up my mind I would learn my neighbor’s names—at least everyone on our block. One by one as I learned people’s names, I wrote them on a list on our refrigerator so I could refresh my memory if necessary.
It gave me great joy to call our neighbors by name when I saw them from time to time, and they seemed to respond positively. It’s an exercise I continue to practice.
Some years later, our worship leader at church asked if Donn and I would serve in the Welcome Center a couple times a month. This brought to my attention how many people’s faces were familiar on Sunday mornings but their names a complete mystery. Once again I made up my mind to do better. I put a piece of paper in the back of my Bible to write down names and made a point of introducing myself to newcomers, as well as to regular attenders I’d never met.
When I heard that our worship leader was interested in having someone else head up the greeters and welcome center personnel, I volunteered. I am passionate about making newcomers and visitors welcome and commissioned all our volunteers to be responsible to make people welcome whether they were “on duty” or not. Soon after that an incident happened that made it clear how much room we had for improvement.
Some weeks after Easter when I introduced myself to a couple I hadn’t seen before and chatted with them, the wife thanked me for talking to them. She added, “We were here on Easter Sunday, and not a single person spoke to us.”
I was devastated and apologized profusely. She told me she felt like no one cared that they were there. They were newcomers to our area, so they went around visiting other churches, but didn’t find what they were looking for. Reluctantly, they decided to try our church again that day. When I shared this incident with the church staff, our pastor asked if I would tell my story to the congregation, which I did. All of this has made me even more passionate about learning the names of newcomers and making them welcome. I love the way their faces light up when I call them by name on repeat visits.
Then, of course, there was the special anointing God gave me to memorize the names of the Hope Center fellows who came to Fresh Grounds Coffee House for a while. Even after they stopped coming and I hadn’t seen them for weeks, I met a few of them at the church they attend. Once again their eyes lit up when I called them by name. “You remembered my name!”
Why does it mean so much to us to be known by name? I’m really not sure, but I’ve never been more aware of the importance of making the effort to learn people’s names. I believe this desire was placed in my heart by the Good Shepherd Himself, of whom it was said, [Jesus] calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. As we follow His example, making learning people’s names a priority, perhaps more opportunities will come our way to introduce others to the Good Shepherd, who calls us each by name.