We’re all new here!

There was a time for most of us, when we walked into Christ Church as someone brand new to the church. Do you remember that day? For some who have been here since childhood, you will have still had a moment when you walked into a new congregation of people. Perhaps you remember that day.

Whoever you are, I think we can agree on this—only some people thrive in a completely new environment. Most people will come at it with some measure of fear, trepidation, uncertainty or worry. So for all our morning church congregations, this Sunday is a big day!

This Sunday, we’re all new here. We are launching our two new congregations—at 9.15 and 10.45–and we are looking forward to seeing all that God will do with us through his word in the power of his Spirit. 

For those who come to Christ Church Nights, many of you are new to church this year too—having either just joined us or moved up from Senior High! 

So for the next few weeks, I want to speak into this context and help us help each other do church well. I am hoping this will be beneficial for everyone reading this, but also for all the people who are considering turning up in the next few months. 

So, how do we do church well?

First things first, prepare well! 

One of our great contributions as a member of a church is our preparation. The people you see on the platform should not be the only ones preparing for church! 

We can all prepare by praying for the preacher, the musicians, the service leader, the Bible readers and the newcomers. We can prepare by studying the Bible passages so that we maximise our learning from God by being ready to listen to the issues and questions in the passages being taught. When you do this you will be better equipped to enter into discussion with others after church too and it is a great encouragement to the preacher to know that the congregation is eager to understand the Bible and willing to put in some effort. A poignant and challenging question, comment or observation upon the sermon is an enormous motivating factor for the preacher who, week by week, has to try and engage the congregation's minds and hearts in the word of God. 

We can also prepare by coming early and being ready to meet new people. Do you know that most new people arrive about five minutes early for church but the average church member arrives about one minute late? I know we all enjoy meeting our friends at church, but we need to develop a nose for new people. When you are early you can sit with them and help them feel comfortable in this strange place by introducing ourselves and explaining what is going on (particularly if they have kids). When we are early we can also meet the friends of other members who have been invited and introduce our friends to others. 

It's all about genuine hospitality. The way we welcome and look after people when they visit our homes should be a model for the household of God. And genuine, relaxed hospitality will slowly evaporate some of the prejudices held by outsiders.

Well, that’s enough for now. Next week we will talk about how to do church well while the gathering is actually happening!