Newcomers Coffee: Third Sunday of the Month!
I have fantastic news to share. St. John’s is growing! Most Sundays, we have at least one newcomer in the pews. Newcomers bring overwhelming joy to this rector. People new to our faith community are of paramount importance. Newcomers give us opportunities to reflect Jesus’ love and hospitality; they give us the chance to be of service.
People new to our pews give us the opportunity to share how we worship the risen Christ. We can invite a newcomer to sit with us during worship to learn how the bulletin, prayer book, and hymnal work together. And please don’t be offended if a newcomer doesn’t want your help. Many of us are introverts and need the space and grace to simply be. This is perfectly okay.
What are other ways we can be of service to newcomers? We can exchange the peace of the Lord with them during the Peace. We have lovely newcomer folders around the church; we can be sure they receive one of these folders full of helpful information.
Please, by all means, introduce me to the newcomer. I love meeting folks and enjoy welcoming people into our faith family. Invite them to coffee hour and walk with them to Hunter Hall as an act of hospitality. And be gracious if they decline your invitation to attend coffee hour. For many, it takes great courage to come into our worship service for the first time. They might be emotionally exhausted and ready to head home or run errands. Again, this is completely fine and acceptable.
If the newcomer joins us for coffee hour, let’s be certain to welcome them into our conversations. I recognize that many have their favorite table in Hunter Hall, just like many have their favorite pew. I get that. I am a creature of habit, too. Please do your best to lovingly welcome the newcomer in coffee hour, just as others welcomed you at one time when you were new.
On my end, I’m offering a Newcomer Coffee with the Clergy every third Sunday of the month. On these third Sundays, I am bypassing Hunter Hall. No, I’m not skipping coffee hour because I don’t want to be with you. I’m bypassing our coffee hour so that I can give my full and undivided attention to our newcomers.
Our first Newcomer Coffee with the Clergy was held on May 18 in the beautiful Molly Warwick room. Senior Warden Diane Hendricks helped by making a pot of coffee and bringing some treats to share. We had three newcomers and Diane and I were able to talk, and more importantly, to listen to the newcomers present. The other great thing is that the newcomers were able to get to know one another.
And so, I encourage you to reach out to our newcomers. Lend them a hand, an ear, and especially your heart (this is starting to sound like a biology lesson). Our parish life is stronger because of the newcomers in our midst, and it is our gift and responsibility to help them feel welcome and integrated into our loving community.
