Twelve bold congregations welcomed Secret Visitors into their midst in the Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Synod of the ELCA and helped us all to “See Ourselves As Others Do.”
This theme was adopted by the synod in 2011 after the soil was tilled in 2010, “The Year of the Young Adult.” Speakers and workshops at synod events using the 2010 theme heightened awareness of shifting generational patterns and the tremendous cry to bridge the needs of our time with the hope and promise through Jesus Christ. To better be a bridge, congregations in 2011 took a fresh look at contemporary communities.
The Secret Visitor experiment happened formally and informally in 2011. After attending a May training event, interested volunteers were assigned to attend worship at a specific congregation and then fill out a feedback form. From figuring out when a service was held and locating the physical entrance, not to mention how the word of God was shared or how to plug into congregational life, Secret Visitors got a taste of being a first-timer — something regular church goers may not have experienced in a very long time.
Impressions were formed. By August, 25 reports were submitted. Here’s some of what we heard:
- If the pastor finds the first-time visitor and says hello to them — you might be a congregation that has laid out the welcome mat.
- If the pastor is the only one who says hello to the newcomers — you might be telling people to not come back. On more than one occasion, in more than one of our congregations, people said they came to church, worshipped and left without a single person saying hello to them.
- If your website still has the summer worship schedule and it’s Ash Wednesday — you might be telling people to stay away.
- If your website has a special section for first-time visitors, pictures of people and up-to-date material — you might be putting out a nice welcome mat. Old dates on the website are a much more common problem than you might think. Check yours. What message does it send to people checking out your congregation?
- If it’s really hard to hear what people are saying up front in worship — you may be telling people to go away.
- If you can hear, and the sermon is good — you may present the best chance of being listened to.
- If there are good signs that direct people where to park and point toward unlocked doors and the sanctuary, to the bathroom and the nursery — you probably put out the welcome mat.
- If when you drive toward the church and pass it, then circle around and can’t find the right door to enter, enter the wrong one and its locked — you might as well put out the “go away” mat.
- If members of your congregation are friendly and greet each other warmly — you are putting out the “go away” mat — unless you extend a greeting to others as well. “They seemed like group of people who were very warm and loving … to each other. I really wished that someone would have made an effort, shown a little personal interaction and a friendly smile.”
Lots to think about!
The synod website has tools that have allowed congregations to invite gentle feedback on their congregation’s welcome mat even if they didn’t go through formal training, including Secret Visitor Guidelines and a Secret Visitor Report form. Building on what we do well and adjusting when our mat doesn’t welcome visitors into our midst will help us better be the church we strive to be.
You might also like to read:
Welcoming newcomers to our congregations
We’re all still welcome
Creating welcoming communities since 1939
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