Church "Spies"

A member of our church recently gave me a newspaper article from the Religious section of The Star, Saturday, September 7, 2013. The title of the article was "Church 'Spies' Uncover Unwelcoming, Unfriendly Congregations." The article is about a visit from a trained ‘spy’ to a church in Pennsylvania. This 'spy' works for a consulting company in Louisville (Society for Church Consulting), his job is to visit congregations unannounced and then evaluate them in their ability to welcome and attract visitors.

     

This "spy" commented that the welcome center in the foyer of the given church was empty, that is no one was there to welcome visitors and guide them around. When he asked if he could attend an ongoing small group or Bible study, he was guided to their “friendly” group of 60 persons.

He reports: “Not a single person spoke to me or asked me what I was doing there.” The article continues: “Actually, consultants who do church ‘spy’ work know that outsiders rarely receive warm, friendly welcomes when they visit most American congregations.”

The "spy" also commented on church websites that are boring, broken, or full of out-of-date information and church facilities that include few if any signs to help visitors find their way around. Some churches don’t have clearly marked guest parking and many are poorly equipped to promise parents that their children will be safe and secure. He also comments on “boring, abstract, Bible-deficient sermons and music ministries that show a lack of effort or worse attempt to recreate an ‘American Idol” show.” Ultimately, the ‘spy’ comments, all who visit a church are looking for something or may even be in a serious crisis and are looking for help.

I wonder what a "spy" might say if he visited St. David’s one Sunday. I actually would welcome such a visit. Scary, yes, but how else would we know the truth of how visitors see us and how else will we see areas in which we all need to improve. If we are a place where we “Live Jesus” as our Mission Statement says, then I would want to know if a visitor truly experiences Jesus in our midst. Does he see Jesus in us? Does he experience the love and the grace of God among us? Does he see Jesus’ smile on our faces, feel Jesus’ touch in our passing of the Peace? Does he feel welcome in Christ’s house, the church? I would welcome such a visit!

Our church should always be ready for such a visit, because, in fact, we are visited each Sunday by individuals that even though they may not work for a consulting company as the "spy" in question does, they are nevertheless there to check if they would feel welcome among us, if they should bring their families to St. David’s, if they could trust us to love them, to teach them, to guide them and to help them find a place of peace in a chaotic world of dog-eat-dog. Each Sunday visitors comes to our church looking for and expecting to find true Christians who believe what they say they believe and friends with whom they could feel safe and who would welcome them into their lives, as they would want to welcome them into theirs. Every visitor is sent to us by Almighty God who draws all unto Him and unto His Son. Each visitor is a potential child of God entrusted to us.

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            Fr. Jose+