BECOMING A WELCOMING CONGREGATION
Acts 9:26-31 (Read later)
Acts 9:26	“When (Saul) came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of 		him…But Barnabas took him…”
Purpose:	To train the church to extend loving friendships to newcomers.
Introduction:											             # Research shows people will attend church for a month.  If they don’t make 4 friends, they will not return.
# Visitors make up their minds in the first 11 minutes if they are not coming back to your church.
# Newcomers to town will try to find a church that will treat them like their home church treated them.  If they do not find what they are looking for in 6 weeks, they won’t go to church for 10 years.
	1.	Assimilation is the process of welcoming people into the life of the church.
	2.	Biblical hospitality communicates love and acceptance.
	3.	Here’s a story of one man’s acceptance into the church fellowship (read Acts 9:26-31).
	4.	If our church is to become more effective in meeting the needs of worshipers, we must 			know:
I.	We are to meet the human need for belonging.
	A.	Churches tend to be inclusive in evangelism but exclusive in relationships.
	B.	When a person accepts Jesus, he becomes a part of the body of Christ theologically and 			socially.
	C.	We are to bring people into the life, fellowship and ministry of the church.
	D.	We must spend time and energy with new people, for they seek relationships.
	E.	We are to create a climate of love.
II.	We face obstacles
	A.	Resistant family networks
	B.	Traditions comfortable to us, but unfamiliar to others.
	C.	Strife, friction, or diversity within the congregation. 
	D.	A no-growth attitude
		#  Occasionally a church member will say, “Our church is big enough already.”				Or “I don’t want our church to get too much bigger.”
	E.	Differences among people—economic, ethnic, and educational.
	F.	Feelings of inferiority on the part of individuals or congregation.
III.	We can improve our ministry
	A.	Identify newcomers in non-threatening ways.
	B.	Look at our church through the eyes of the first-time visitor
	C.	Welcome newcomers before greeting our friends.
	D.	Help new worshippers find a group.
		# Renew the Five-Minute Pledge: A promise to visit with newcomers for the first five 			minutes after a worship service knowing family and friends will wait that long.  
	E.	Start new groups. Older groups are less porous and can resist newcomers. 
Conclusion:
1.	We can minister to more.
2.	We can love more.