remembering your first time

Can you remember the first time you rode a bike, your first love, the first time you got behind the wheel of a car, your first job, your first time away from home, or first kiss? First times are memorable! But as time goes on, chances are that you think less and less about these things. As particular experiences become commonplace, we can begin to forget what it is like to experience something for the first time.

Now I want you to think about church! All of you can probably remember the first time you walked into The Gathering. Depending on your past experience of church, you perhaps walked through our doors excited, nervous, skeptical, intrigued, curious, or anxious. But as time goes on, we grow more comfortable with the community, and often times forget what it feels like to come to a strange place for the first time.

This is one reason why our Sunday morning hospitality ministry is so important. We only have one chance to welcome someone on Sunday morning. And sometimes the nature of our welcome is the primary memory a person will have of our church. For this reason, our hospitality and connections teams have a request. We want you to remember back to your first time at The Gathering. What was it like? What did you experience? What was missing? We have put together a short survey that we would like for you to take a few minutes to complete. Click here and let us know what your first time was like. This information will help us improve our ministry for other new people.

So please take a few minutes to give us your feedback so that we can do a better job welcoming people. And remember that hospitality is a task we all share. This Sunday when you walk into our sanctuary, remember that it is someone’s first time. Help us make The Gathering a welcoming place by introducing yourself to someone you don’t know. Sometimes, just being aware of the folks around us can make a world of difference. Let’s make sure when people walk through our doors for the first time, it is a positive memory they take away.