Some thoughts from Andrew Stewart-Darling (founder and until recently Pastor of Stour Valley Vineyard in Sudbury with his wife Emma, now at Emmaus Road Church Guildford):

So super excited to have just joined the welcome team at my church. And here’s why? Research shows that most visitors will have made up their mind in the first two minutes whether they come again or not. So if I can help them, I’m in!

This might be discouraging if you are a pastor and were hoping it would be something in your talk or because you know your worship team are on ‘holy fire’ at the moment! But actually it is probably the small, almost missed things that will decide whether you win a second Sunday off your visitors or not.

Take ‘hotel doorman’ theory. There is value having someone stand at the front of a hotel even when the door can be automatically opened. It is the smile, the reassurance, the knowledge of taxis, the umbrella, and the small comments that will make a guest’s stay that more memorable.

These are the small, intangible things that are so hard to put a value on but worth everything when visiting a church for the first time.

That’s because we are created to be social animals, and those small human moments of connection are what keep us coming.

John Wimber, founder of the Vineyard Church used to say, “People come to church for many years reasons but stay for only one — relationship.” After 28 years of pastoral experience, I think that is very true.

It takes a lot of guts to turn up to church when you don’t know what you believe and everyone seems to know someone else.

So if I can help bring a smile and ease the tension a little I reckon the sermon has already begun.