January 15, 2022

I recently found a note on my phone with feedback for a mega-church we had just started attending… and working for. That part matters, because I’m a firm believer that feedback is really only helpful if you’re willing to be part of the solution. We’ve done this transition several times and have always been asked to give a “fresh perspective” as we start over with a new church community.

There is no parking team. There is no info on shuttle; we figured it out by following other cars. Most of the doors to the church are locked. One door was propped open, but my kids and I were shushed by a volunteer upon entering. Only the front doors have people assigned to them. There is no visible welcome team. There are, however, a lot of people socializing. They are obviously insiders – staff and volunteers, evidenced by their credentials. They gather in such a large group that the welcome desk is obscured from view or access.

Rarely do I call attention to organizations in a what-not-to-do way. But we turned our lives upside down and gave this church everything we had, hoping to help make it more like Jesus, only to be secretly replaced and let out the back door (literally) eighteen months later. Our last day looked just like the first described above, so I feel comfortable sharing. After years of therapy, I no longer feel bitter, resentful, or unforgiving when churches fall significantly short of the mission often posted to their websites. I simply care about human beings more than any institution with a person or an image or longstanding tradition to protect.

If you have influence at a church, open your doors wide tomorrow and put your friendliest people on them. Audit the welcome process and volunteer to help improve it if it’s lacking. Move heaven and earth to make people feel like you’ve been waiting for them all week. Try to make your space feel a little more like Jesus’s friend group and a little less like a pharisee’s country club.