Is this an appropriate statement to get visitors to join your church?

[judson1982]

"We're glad you came. Please come back again". I feel offended when I hear this because the person making this comment appears to be more interested in my coming back than s/he is my joining the church and getting involved with it. The reason I feel this way is that I have been taught most of the past 34 years as a Christian to join a church and get involved with it, rather than visiting a different church each week.

 

[Rukado]

Huh? Why would you think inviting someone back implies a lack of interest in them joining the church?

 

[Albion]

"We're glad you came. Please come back again". I feel offended when I hear this...


I never take it that way. On the visitors very first visit, it is appropriate to say that they are welcome. It is appropriate to talk about getting involved in other congregational activities, of formally joining the church, or etc. only later. If that kind of thing is presented to the visitor on his initial visit, it runs the risk of scaring him away.

 

[ripple the car]

"We're glad you came. Please come back again". I feel offended when I hear this because the person making this comment appears to be more interested in my coming back than s/he is my joining the church and getting involved with it. The reason I feel this way is that I have been taught most of the past 34 years as a Christian to join a church and get involved with it, rather than visiting a different church each week.

I like seeing / hearing "welcome". Kind of welcoming, but no pressure.

 

[ripple the car]

"We welcome you to come and join us in our life with, in, and for Christ". Something like this is printed in our parish newsletter. I like it.

 

[JIMINZ]

"We're glad you came. Please come back again". I feel offended when I hear this because the person making this comment appears to be more interested in my coming back than s/he is my joining the church and getting involved with it. The reason I feel this way is that I have been taught most of the past 34 years as a Christian to join a church and get involved with it, rather than visiting a different church each week.

.
Just keep going, don't make a commitment until you feel moved to do so.
When the time is right you will know, dont just jump into the first Church on the first visit.

Remember.

Amos3:3
Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

Just because the sign out front says whatever Denomination on it, does not necessarily mean, you will be agreed with what they profess in 6 mo.
give it time, God is Eternal.

 

[chevyontheriver]

"We're glad you came. Please come back again". I feel offended when I hear this because the person making this comment appears to be more interested in my coming back than s/he is my joining the church and getting involved with it. The reason I feel this way is that I have been taught most of the past 34 years as a Christian to join a church and get involved with it, rather than visiting a different church each week.

I think whoever said that was trying. They know you are free to come back or not come back and they would like you to come back. And if you do that several times maybe you will join and get involved.

 

[GirdYourLoins]

The way you put it U can see your point. Certainly would come across as pushy to me, being British. An acceptable various of that would be something like "Thank you for coming, please feel free to come back any time" or "It was nice to meet you would you like to come again?" and give them a choice rather than effectively telling them to come back.

 

[Anguspure]

"We're glad you came. Please come back again". I feel offended when I hear this because the person making this comment appears to be more interested in my coming back than s/he is my joining the church and getting involved with it. The reason I feel this way is that I have been taught most of the past 34 years as a Christian to join a church and get involved with it, rather than visiting a different church each week.

I agree that trite statements that mean little in terms of engagement with a Church family are grating. The question I ask myself is why would I go back to that building when they will have forgotten who I am by the time I get back?

 

[~Anastasia~]

"We're glad you came. Please come back again". I feel offended when I hear this because the person making this comment appears to be more interested in my coming back than s/he is my joining the church and getting involved with it. The reason I feel this way is that I have been taught most of the past 34 years as a Christian to join a church and get involved with it, rather than visiting a different church each week.

I agree there may be better ways of saying it.

But there's an opportunity in your post. I want to say this without being critical but ... it's worth noticing when we get offended. It can reveal something of our heart toward people in general, the situation, or that person in particular. We can do some spiritual work, asking ourselves why we got offended, how we might try to see the good intent in others, give them the benefit of the doubt. Is our response rooted in pride or something else? Such insights are valuable to become aware of, point the way to areas we can open ourselves to the grace of God.

Forgive me - I hope this doesn't sound critical. I have found many times in myself this to be a good tool as I have had plenty of those kinds of reactions.

God be with you.

 

[ripple the car]

I agree that trite statements that mean little in terms of engagement with a Church family are grating. The question I ask myself is why would I go back to that building when they will have forgotten who I am by the time I get back?

This is something that has bugged me for a while. I finally realized that I was pretty much projecting my own loneliness and alienation on the experience of being in church. I wanted everyone to see, talk to, notice, and ask about me. I felt lonely and rejected and angry when they didn't. Thank God my attitude has improved a bit. I'm still kind of lonely and alienated, but realize now that so is everyone else to some degree, and that Church is about God giving Himself to us, and us giving Him our hearts, together. Not about me making friends or being fawned over.

Sorry. I know loneliness is a painful and real thing. But making my attitude more about Him and less about how I feel has been helpful for me.

 

[Albion]

I agree that trite statements that mean little in terms of engagement with a Church family are grating. The question I ask myself is why would I go back to that building when they will have forgotten who I am by the time I get back?

I suppose that it depends on who is greeting and who is being welcomed, but I have always been pleased to have someone notice me, thank me for coming, and say he looks forward to having me return.

None of that is negated because he doesn't really know me or because he probably says the same thing to other visitors. Moreover, it usually is the case that IF I do return, some people--not just the one who welcomed me before--will notice that I am a returnee.

It could be that the larger the church, the less any of this is likely to happen, but the OP asked about one in which that kind of welcome occurred, so....

 

[S.O.J.I.A.]

i'd say there's things much more worthy of one's ire.


there's this church by where I work called 'better life church' and their pitch is "want a better life?". from a technical standpoint, being in Christ would constitute a better life in the sense of having peace and contentment in Christ and the joys that come from that.

I don't think the unbeliever would have the same expectations and understanding when hearing such a statement however.

 

[Micah888]

"We're glad you came. Please come back again".

Perfectly appropriate. Nothing to make an issue.

 

[Doug Melven]

"We're glad you came. Please come back again".

Nothing wrong with this statement, as long as it is not alone.
Introduce yourself and ask the person for there name. Have a conversation with them.

 

[Radagast]

"We're glad you came. Please come back again".

Seems totally reasonable.

 

[JAM2b]

I don't think it is inappropriate. It can, and should, take a while to know if a church is the right place for you to be become a member. Simply being a church doesn't mean it is a good body of believers or that their priorities are correct.

This might be different if you feel devoted to a particular denomination and there's only one church of that denomination in your area, but generally we have a wide range of churches to choose from. When I was growing up I was taught to visit a church for 6-8 weeks and at different kinds of gatherings they offer before deciding if you should join them.

A minister or whoever types the bulletin or slide doesn't know the spiritual condition or intentions of every new person who steps in the door. There can be a wide range of reasons someone is visiting for the first time: traveling and passing through, in town because they are visiting someone, looking for a wedding venue, non-believers who are just curious, ect...