In March, I read a devotional in The Upper Room about a woman who gave one of her friends the job of welcoming people as they arrived at their Christian fellowship group. After the meeting, her friend asked, “Can I take on this ministry again next week? I loved doing it.”
The author said, “Welcoming people is a simple ministry, but my friend was excited to do it.” I smiled, and said, “Me too, Jesus! Me too!”
Although welcoming people at our churches and fellowship groups is a simple ministry, I’ve concluded that it’s one of the most important. When a guest comes to the door of our home, we usually do our best to make them feel welcome, and certainly we should do no less when people arrive at the doors of our church. Recently, someone who attends church where we do told us one of the reasons they like coming there is because we make them so welcome.
My Grandpa Beachy died before I was born, but in a published article by my Aunt Edna Beiler, I learned that he also loved making people welcome. She said when people came to his door, he greeted them with these words, “Come in! Come in! You’re as welcome as the flowers in May!” Who wouldn’t feel welcome when being greeted with those words!
When a woman who attends our church was trying to discover the names of the couple who sit behind her on Sunday mornings, I heard her say, “Ask Daisy, she talks to everyone.”
I took it as a compliment because I believe that in the body of Christ, no one should be left out. A few weeks ago as I looked around in the service we attend, I realized there were only two couples that I didn’t know. After the service, I was delighted to see people gathered around those couples, making them welcome. Praise God!
On a less complimentary note, when our granddaughter, Sarah, accompanied us to church one day, she said, “Grandma, why do you talk to everyone you meet?”
“It’s my job, Sarah,” I responded. “It’s my job to make people feel welcome!” Last Sunday when I had a bad case of laryngitis, I knew I needed to stay home. It would be too difficult to be there and not be able to speak to the people.
The psalmist David said, I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord (Psalm 122:1). I believe that as we make it our goal to make people welcome in God’s house, people will leave with a sense of gladness that they came.
Father, give us a desire to be the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus to make people welcome in your house. Amen.