Gone in 60 seconds

Gone in 60 seconds is a Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie car chase classic movie. It’s full of high-end cars being driven at high speed as Cage seeks salvation for his brother through theft. Rotten Tomatoes describes it as delivering an intense, high adrenaline ride that's full of thrills and excitement. The whole premise is that it only takes 60 seconds for a car to disappear. 

In church land, it only takes 60 seconds for a newcomer to disappear.

Elliot received a note from a friend this week who was looking for a new church. She visited multiple churches and had an almost universal experience. The outside welcome was brilliant, lots of smiles and introductions. But then…

Regardless of how excellent the welcome outside is, the moment I enter the building all that is forgotten. Even when I arrive only 3-4 minutes before the advertised service time, every time I walk inside a building it is next to empty. Usually the only people inside are tech, musos and staff who are running around looking very busy, and who clearly have no time to talk to a visitor. So I inevitably sit on my own, awkwardly hoping someone will talk to me so that 3-4 minutes doesn’t feel like hours.

Ouch. There is a challenge to me and the staff team. Let’s be better organised and get busy connecting with people in those 10 minutes before church. (Our music and tech teams can be excused - they are helping us get things started!)

She went on to talk about the after church moment. 

The moment I dread the most is the 30 seconds immediately after the service ends. When you don’t know anyone in the room, it is really hard to know what to do. I want to talk to people. If someone asks me if I’ll stay for coffee my answer will always be yes. But if I’m not spoken to in the first 30 seconds, I’m out. It’s too awkward to stand there on my own waiting.

She’s gone in 60 seconds. 

In 2023 we had 1009 people visit our church for the first time. That’s not a typo. On average, that’s almost 20 new people in church each week. And about 13% decided to call Christ Church home. Perhaps you brought a new person. Perhaps you are a new person. Perhaps you sat next to a new person. Perhaps you chatted to a new person. Perhaps you helped a new person get to know some people and integrate into our church. 

Welcoming is not complex. Yet, as Elliot’s friend relays, it’s rarely done well. A warm, genuine, natural, accepting welcome will help grow a gospel-centred church. And the reality is, the 60 seconds at the end of church are the most important 60 seconds in the decision making of the newcomer. 

So, this Sunday, and every Sunday, can I encourage you to think about those 60 seconds. During the service as you sit and stand to sing, take a sneaky look around yourself and work out who you know and who you don’t. Then, at the end of the service, turn to the unknown people and say “Hi, my name is <insert your name>, I don’t think we’ve met.” (Or some other version of a non-threatening introduction.)

I know that is hard sometimes and there are weeks and even months when we are only just making it to church ourselves and the idea of welcoming someone is brutally difficult but for most of us, using that moment well ensures the newcomer is not gone in 60 seconds. It may also mean you meet someone at church who has been here 60 years!

So let me set you a challenge. Knowing that it only takes 60 seconds for a newcomer to disappear, once or twice a month, will you dedicate that 60 seconds post church to someone you don’t know sitting around you? You might meet a committed saint. You might meet a wandering soul. You might meet a keen enquirer. You might meet a newcomer wanting to join the body of Christ and grow as a wholehearted disciple of Jesus. 

Whoever you meet, that 60 seconds will no doubt be a great encouragement to you and to them.