They Saw Us

We moved to St. Albans, United Kingdom (UK), from Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, in July 2018. We visited area churches looking for our new home. The first church we visited for many Sabbaths was beautiful, including friendly greeters holding the sanctuary doors open for us, smiling as they handed us our bulletins. The congregation inside was ethnically diverse. The musicians leading out were talented.

The potlucks were delicious and well organized. We were invited and stayed a couple times, enjoying it very much.

We also visited a small church in London, where my husband, Mack, gave the sermon a couple times. That church was very different in that both the Sabbath School and the divine service were loosely organized. We were warmly welcomed. But the more-than-one-hour drive each way wouldn’t allow us to even consider that as a home church.

The next church had limited parking, and the sanctuary would get quite warm. The potlucks were well organized, but again the physical space was very close and seemed chaotic because of the tight quarters.

The thing that was different about this last church, however, was a couple of the greeters in particular. The important thing was that they saw us. They were not looking through us to the people behind us, or chatting with the other greeters over our heads. It wasn’t long before they were welcoming us by our first names. This little church, packed to the seams every Sabbath, was full of friendly energy. It’s now our church home, and we’re there because of this.

Sometimes Mack and I are greeters, holding the heavy church doors open and taking note of people’s names and how visitors came to be there that Sabbath.

I’ve found that being a greeter helps you play “matchmaker” in introducing capable people to ministries that need help. It pays to be a friendly face and instrument of hospitality in our church settings.