Greeting God's Way
Greeting God’s Way
Introduction
1st Line of Defense
The Greeter’s Manual by Leslie Parrot says “The Ministry of the Church Greeter goes beyond the Foyer. It begins in the parking lot”. Some churches have greeter teams outside, greeting people from the parking lot to their front doors. How many of you have attended CCV? There you have to run a gauntlet of greeters. We currently do not have a greeter team outside or in the parking lot and it is one of our goals to have one. When we get closer to getting into our new building, we will have to take our greeting to the next level. We do have a Security Team. Their main propose is to observe and report any problems that occur on church property. But our Security Team does more than roaming the parking lot looking for would be trouble makers breaking into cars. The Security Team has a secondary role and that is the job of a Front Line Greeter. They are warm, friendly, smiling faces saying hello and offering rides on our golf carts from people’s cars to our main doors. This is the first contact some people have as they attend our church services and I know that they only touch a fraction of the people who come to the Vineyard each week. And that is why we have our…
Main Defensive Line
Our Greeters are dedicated men and women--with warm friendly faces-- who work one month on and one month off. They are stationed at all of the door entrances ready with a bulletin to touch the lives of our members, regular attendees, and Guests. But the greeting does not end there! Our last line of defense…Our ushers and Secret Greeters!
Last Chance Line
Ushers and Secret Greeters continue the warm and friendly feelings by greeting people as they come into the auditorium, as people are sitting in their chairs and as they are leaving the service. This is our last chance to greet our people, some of whom may be a 1st time Guest. If they are not greeted, we have lost an opportunity to touch their lives and they may never return to our church. They may not get to hear the message God has for them. So you see, ushers, greeters and our security team work hand-in-hand in servicing the needs of our congregation. I would like to take a few minutes and share with you how Pastor Dave and I feel about how we are to greet here at VCNP. Greeting starts long before you show up at church to serve at your assigned service. We believe if a person has a deep personal relationship with God, they will be able to serve more effectively in their respective ministry.
Having a deep relationship with God.
Spending quiet time.
With all of the noise around us it is hard for us to hear from the Holy Spirit. We need to learn to turn off our cell phones, turn off the TV, radios, I pods, computers and video games. We need to be able to get away to some place quiet, with no distractions. You need to find a place where we can close the door and lock it. Or find a place where you can walk alone on the beach or go to the top of the mountain. It does not matter where you go as long as you are alone. You need to create an atmosphere conducive to hearing from the Lord. Once you are alone, there is one more thing you need to be able to turn off. Your mind! Our minds are constantly thinking. You need to be able to quiet your mind. Psalms 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God.” Taking slow, deep breaths can relax your muscles and relive tension. It can lower your blood pressure, and helps clear your mind. Now you can focus and are free to hear God whisper to you! I remember hearing that George Washington would spend 1 hour every morning in his study. I looked on the internet to try and find out more information about this subject. After many websites, I came across a letter written by George Washington’s adopted daughter, Nelly Curtis-Lewis, discussing his religious character. She said, “it was his custom to retire to his library at 9 or 10 o’clock where he remained an hour before he went to his chamber. He always rose before the sun and remained in his library until called to breakfast.” She went on to say, “He was not one of those who act or pray ‘that they may be seen of men.’ He communed with his God in secret.” That was his quiet time. To be alone and meditating on God’s word. Quiet time alone with God can lead to other things like praising God, intercessory prayer or Bible reading. Daily quiet time is like visiting with your closest friend. My question to you is: Are you spending quiet time alone with God?
Bible reading
Having a Bible reading plan is critical to your development as a Christian. We live in a time pressured world and it is hard for us to carve out a moment to spend reading God’s word. But it is the most important part of your day. It is how we find out what God’s will for our life is. The Bible is one of the primary ways God speaks to us. The Bible is our complete source of truth. Not reading it would be like a fireman going to a fire without his fire truck or a soldier going into combat without his rifle. I would imagine that George Washington spent a lot of his quiet time in the morning reading God’s word. Some people like to read in the mornings and some, like me, prefer to read before going to bed. It doesn’t really matter when or where. The important thing is that you are in God’s word.
Prayer time.
Why should we spend time praying? Because God desires our fellowship. His desire is for us to know Him, to know His will and His plans for us. His desire is for us to become more like Jesus. Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to hurt you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I Thessalonians 5:17 says “Pray without ceasing.” That means to be in a constant state of prayer. Your prayers do not have to be long drawn out formal prayers. Just talk to the Lord like you would talk to you earthly father. Your faith will not grow if you neglect your relationship with Christ. Spending time with Christ (in prayer) will mature your bond with Christ, and will help you not only in your Ministry, but in every aspect of your life. Now you can use the fruits of your life to help make others feel welcome and inclusive in all you do here! My second point is to make them feel special, how?
M.I.P.’S
Make our people and our guests feel like they are the most important person at that point and time. How did you feel the 1st time you came to the Vineyard? Did someone make you feel like a M.I.P.? I hope so! If not, don’t you wish someone had? How can we make them feel like they matter to God and to this church? Look at my next step.
Greet with a kiss?
The New Testament church used to greet one another with a Holy Kiss! Not much is known about this practice. It arose spontaneously in the early church, but with changing social attitudes it fell into disfavor. The Bible gives this command not once but five times in the New Testament. 1. Romans 16:16 2. I Corinthians 16:20 3. II Corinthians 13:12 4. I Thessalonians 5:26 5. I Peter 5:14. Can you picture our Greeters kissing people as they walk through our doors? How many people would turn around and walk out? I feel what Paul was saying in Romans 16:16, I Corinthians 16:20 and II Corinthians 13:12 was, do you love Christ? Well if you do, greet them in Christian love! You should be happy to see a fellow Christian! Well,instead of kisses, here are some modern versions of a Holly Kiss!
Make Eye Contact.
Look them into the eye and don’t look away. We want to leave people with a warm feeling. Looking at people and making eye contact are the first steps toward striking up friendships and making a positive friendly impression. When a person does not make eye contact we tend to assume that that person is not friendly. Some shy people tend to avoid direct eye contact. They are likely to look down at the ground or look away and rarely look at the face of the person they are talking to. If you are a shy person making this one simple change to your behavior can help you be friendlier and inviting to the person you are greeting. We also don’t want to use a piercing or intense stare. Just enough eye contact to show warmth.
A Warm Smile.
Your smile and attitude is the first thing people are going to notice about you. Therefore, it is important that you make your first impression a good one. What can I say about a warm smile? It melts the hearts of the people you come into contact with. It puts them at ease and they can relax and absorb God’s word.
A Firm Hand Shake.
Having a firm hand shake is important for making a first impression. The perfect handshake conveys a friendly, welcoming attitude. Be careful not to use bad hand shakes such as… the wet noodle, fingers only, pumping the well, or the bone crusher. Keep it firm and brief. I try to shake hands when I can, mostly with men. If I shake hands with women, I shake their hand once and hold it briefly. Sometimes a touch on the shoulder is called for. And sometimes it’s a hug. One should use caution when touching or hugging someone you don’t know, because many Americans don’t like to be touched. As you get to know the people you greet, you will get to know which individual you can touch or hug.
Verbal Exchanges.
When I greet, I try to say “hello” or have some type of verbal exchange with everyone I come into contact with.
- Nice to see you!
- How are you?
- I haven’t met you before?
- Are you having a nice day?
- Enjoy the service!
Dress for Success!
It is important to dress better then the general population of the church. You want to create a positive first impression by dressing a little on the conservative side. Here are a few pointers:
- Clean and neat appearance. (no sleeveless shirts)
- Hair clean and neat.
- Minimal cologne or perfume.
- Breath mints on hand.
Be on the Lookout for New persons-- Guests.
On average, 40 plus Guests come to us each week. They are the guests who fill out the Information Cards. With so many people we as a Greeter Team need to be on the look out for Guests. What are some ways we can identify new people coming to us?
- Deer caught in the headlight look!
- Over Dressed.
- Have their kids with them and look lost.
Chain of custody.
What is Chain of Custody? My wife Jadean worked as a window clerk for the U. S. Post Office. When a customer sends a certified letter through the mail, it goes from the window to what’s called the Cage where it is recorded into a log book and locked up. At the appointed time, the letter carrier signs for the certified letter to take it out on His or Her route, where it is delivered to the party it is addressed to. When delivering the letter the letter carrier will get a signature from the addressee. That ends the chain of custody. The U.S. Post Office takes special care of certified letters and we should take special care of our Guests by walking them over to the…
- Information Counter Host.
- Bring them over to the information counter host to answer any question.
- Take them to…Kid Check,
- Youth Building,
- Class Rooms, etc…
- When taking them over to--lets say kids check—don’t just walk them over, take them in and say to the person over the counter that they area guest and ask them to help them.
- Handing them off to an Usher.
- Walk them to an Usher and ask them to help them find a seat. A nice thing to do is…
- Introduce them to a Pastor or other Leaders.
- When I worked in the dance business I would always introduce my students to other teachers and students. Introducing people to others shows them that we feel they are important. It also gives them a chance to meet more people and they are more apt to come back.
Some people remember names easier then others. Pastor Brian as an example, over time, has developed a system to help him remember names. I would like to share from the greeter’s manual how you too can remember names. It will take a little bit of work but with practice I think you can do it.
- Ask them their name and listen to their name. I like to listen to their name as it leaves their lips. Many people don’t remember names because they don’t listen.
- Relate their name to something or someone you already know by that name. ( Marlene Story)
- My wife’s cousin’s name is Marlene and I met a woman who was a first time guest and I asked what her name was. She said my name is Marlene. I said, oh I know a Marlene, I will remember your name. The next time I saw that woman I remembered her name because I associated it with another person by that name.
- Use their name at least 3 times while you are meeting them.
- Nice to meet you John. How did you hear about us John? I look forward to seeing you again John!
- Write their name down as soon as you can.
Special Needs.
- Wheelchairs/Walkers.
- Taking out a wheelchair to them. Some people will come in asking for a wheel chair.
- Opening doors.
- Be on the look out for anyone who might need the door opened for them.
- Ask an Usher to find a place for them.
- Remove chairs to keep isle clear.
- Kids. Cry Room/Nursing Mothers Room.
- Kids classes.
Building Acclimation
Does everyone know where things are here at the Vineyard? If you don’t get with Missy Luke…
- Wire basket
- Any correspondence to Pastors or staff can be placed in the wire basket located on the information counter. (No money tithes, etc…)
- Tithe Box
- Tithe box is on the front of the sound booth in auditorium.
- Rest Rooms
- Class Rooms A & B
- Meeting Room/Conference Room—we also use as class rooms.
- Prayer Room
- Youth Building/Food Bank/ Cloths Drop Off
- Vineyard Kids
- Lost and Found
- Free coffee/coffee bar
- Book Store
- Small Group Catalogs/Flyers/Business Cards Etc…
- Class Schedules
- At the information Counter we have a laminated sheet that has the class and event schedule for the Vineyard. Three outside locations for class schedule.
- Bulletin
- Highlight page from bulletin.
- Thora Anderson: Women’s ministry.
- Craig Beyer: Youth Ministry.
- Mario Fernandez: Compassion Ministry, Men’s Ministry, Celebrate Recovery, Small Groups.
- David Johnson: Evangelism, Assimilation, Prayer Ministry, Greeters, Ushers, and Security Team.
- Matt Turrigiano: Music Ministry.
- Jody Kingston: Children’s Ministry, Family Ministry, Marriage Ministry.
- Tom Quaid: Singles, Counseling Ministries,Church Administration, Discipleship, VLI.
Pray and ask God to help you in your duties as a Greeter, Usher, and Security team member. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to those people who need your assistance. Pray for your fellow team members for God’s Blessings and that God would use them to be a Blessing to others. Remember it’s not about us!
Godly: Example to others.
Real: Being yourself, not fake or phony.
Encourage: Others with kind words.
Equip: Training of new Greeters.
Teach: How Christ would greet you.
Exalt: The Lord in all we do.
Radiate: God’s love to others.
Service: Sacrificially
