Welcoming people to church is a very important part of our ministry. It can be a very nerve-wracking thing to come to a new church, let alone if no-one comes and talks to you. Failure to warmly welcome can put people off in the blink of an eye. The flip-side of this, of course, is that good welcoming does wonders. If people have a good experience when they visit a church, they will not only be much more willing to connect in an ongoing way, but they will experience something of the prodigal love of God. Welcoming is a profoundly Christian thing to do because God, in Christ, has welcomed us all into his family. There is no one who does not deserve to be warmly received when they come to church.

Commitment

Frequency: Newcomer greeters are rostered on for a month. You'll need to come to church each Sunday during the month you are rostered on (you can't welcome people if you're not there).
Before the service: arrive 5 minutes early to greet and welcome newcomers. If possible sit with a new person during the service.
At supper: talk and get to know new people. Introduce them to other people from church and invite them to fill in a communication card.
On the last Sunday of each month (5-6pm before church) come to the newcomers welcome event. It will be a welcome relief for the newcomer to have a familiar face at this event, where they learn a bit more about what the church values, its mission statement and aims, and more.
Bookstall: One of the 3 Newcomer Greeters will be looking after the bookstall for the month. This is a great opportunity to get to know newcomers, as it may well be the first place they come after the service as they seek to find a book using their $15 voucher. Spark up a conversation about the type of book they're looking for or great reads you may know about and let the conversation go on its course.