One of my favourite icebreakers whenever I’m chatting to a group of Grace London newbies is asking them what their first impression of the church was. You get a delicious buffet of interesting answers.
The coffee is good and strong.
People look like they actually enjoy worship.
Strangers came over and said hi.
The church building smelled like an airport. (See, interesting answer!)
Most first impressions are good (that is, if you like airports), but there are definitely bad first impressions of Grace London from those who’ve decided not to return. First impressions matter because they pave the way to a second visit, which then hopefully paves the way to regular attendance where they can meet Jesus and discover what it means to be a follower of Christ amongst brothers and sisters.
Many are involved in the making of a good first impression.
The captain of the team is the Holy Spirit, who’s always at work doing his thing. VIP players include Grace’s excellent staff and pastoral team (tooting my own horn here), who plan, prep, order and lead.
But a Sunday is not a Sunday without you behind the tech desk, strumming the guitar, or setting up the chairs. Grace London cannot provide a welcoming atmosphere or a good first impression if you don’t come on time, set aside your own week’s worries and stresses to look out for the nervous visitor standing to the side, peering out with eyes that say, “please someone come and say hi to me” and “please nobody notice me” both at the same time.
If you’d consider Grace London your church, do consider how you can help us make a good first impression.
Every September, we have the privilege of welcoming many new visitors to the church. Some have just moved to the city, some are looking for a new church to call home, some are coming back after a season of church hurt, some are tagging along with friends to hear who this Jesus guy is. All are looking to feel welcomed, to experience God’s love for them expressed in our love for them.
You don’t have to join the welcome team to help make Grace London a welcoming church. You don’t even need to join any volunteer team (although we would love you to). But coming each Sunday with a prayer uttered not only for how God will speak to you but also for how He will use you to reach others is a good start.
Doing this might open your eyes to that wayward sign out the front, so that a newcomer doesn't get confused entering the church building. Doing this could nudge you to continue your chat with your best friend over the season finale of Pluribus later in the week, and instead focus your time on getting to know someone new. Doing this may pop an interesting question into your head to ask the person sitting behind you, leading to a fruitful conversation.
First impressions matter. Will you make Grace London’s a good one for all those seeking a new church to call home?
These articles are written without the use of generative AI.