Caring Churches
A church newsletter mentioned a man who visited eighteen
different churches on successive Sundays. He was trying to find
out what the churches were really like. He said, "I sat near the
front. After the service, I walked slowly to the rear, then
returned to the front and went back to the foyer using another
aisle. I smiled and was neatly dressed. I asked one person to
direct me to a specific place: a fellowship hall, pastor's
study, etc. I remained for coffee if served. I used a scale to
rate the reception I received. I awarded points on the following
basis:
- 10 for a smile from a worshiper
- 10 for a greeting from someone sitting nearby
- 100 for an exchange of names
- 200 for an invitation to have coffee
- 200 for an invitation to return
- 1000 for an introduction to another worshiper
- 2000 for an invitation to meet the pastor
On this scale, eleven of the eighteen churches earned fewer than
100 points. Five actually received less than 20.
The conclusion: The doctrine may be biblical, the singing
inspirational, the sermon uplifting, but when a visitor finds
nobody who cares whether he's here, he is not likely to come
back."
God bless you and yours.
On behalf of this generation,
Your friends in the service of Christ,
Tony and Marge Abram
Abundant Life Crusades
www.tonyabram.com
or
www.abundantlifecrusades.com
|
