Invite Welcome Connect Coming to Pittsburgh by Lou

Whether you have been at St. Paul’s for 30 years or 30 days, what first brought you to our parish? Did someone invite you? Did you hear something about us that made you want to come? Or did you come for some other reason?

Now, reflect back on your first visit to St. Paul’s. Did anyone welcome you? Did you feel welcome? Or did it take a long time to feel welcome here?

Finally, please reflect on why you have stayed at St. Paul’s. What has connected you to our community: the worship, the people, the music, your children, or something else? Do you feel connected to St. Paul’s?

As I have previously written, the latest research from the Episcopal Church finds that a key characteristic of those Episcopal parishes that are growing is being very intentional about inviting newcomers, welcoming them, and connecting them to the people of the parish and to God.

At the end of April, Peter Balfe, Betty Duckstein, Karen Viggiano, and I attended a national conference entitled Invite-Welcome-Connect to learn more about how St. Paul’s could become even more inviting, welcoming, and connecting. We brought back a lot of ideas that we will be exploring. Perhaps the most exciting development is that we are bringing Invite-Welcome-Connect to Pittsburgh!

The leader of Invite-Welcome-Connect will present a program for us and the Diocese at St. Paul’s on Saturday, September 12, and will be preaching and teaching here the following morning. I am encouraging everyone to come, and particularly those parishioners who play lead roles in our various ministries. Please mark your calendars, and look for more information soon.Why should you be willing to spend part of a Saturday learning more about Invite-Welcome-Connect? Because you are the key to whether St. Paul’s will become even more inviting, welcoming, and connecting. And whether we will continue to thrive, not just survive. The clergy and staff try our best, but the fact is there are about 10 of us, and there are over 1,000 of you.

That’s why I began this reflection by asking you to think back on your first experiences at St. Paul’s. You may have been invited by someone here, and it’s highly likely you felt welcome and ultimately got connected and stayed because of people. The clergy and staff were probably part of that experience, but I suspect it is the lay people with whom you connected and who play a big part in keeping you at St. Paul’s.

In the meantime, here’s what you can do. Invite someone you know to come to a St. Paul’s event. Or to church. Research shows that a personal invitation is the most effective way to get a newcomer to church. Research also shows that up to 80% of unchurched people would accept an invitation to go to church. Yet 98% of Episcopalians never invite anyone to church! What’s wrong with this picture? The point: you can make St. Paul’s a more inviting community.

On Sunday morning (or Saturday evening), take a moment to speak with someone you don’t know. Whether that person is new or has been coming for years, you’ll make a new connection and perhaps welcome a newcomer. Please don’t say, “Hi – are you new to St. Paul’s?” Perhaps they normally attend a different service, and you’ll feel a little silly if they say, “actually, we’ve been members for years.” Something like “Hi – my name is Lou, I don’t think we’ve met.” Some churches follow what’s called the ten minute rule. For ten minutes after the service ends, parishioners try to speak only with those people they don’t know, before reconnecting with old friends. And then there’s coffee hour, which occurs immediately after all three of our Sunday morning services. Invite someone you don’t know to come to coffee hour. Or at least go to coffee hour, and talk with someone you don’t recognize or know. The point: you can make St. Paul’s a more welcoming community.

And then there’s the connect piece. Research shows that if a newcomer meets seven people in the new church, they are likely to stay; conversely, if they don’t, they are likely to leave. If you discover a newcomer, please introduce him or her to other people who you know. Coffee hour is a great place to make introductions. Tell them what you like about St. Paul’s. If appropriate, suggest a ministry, program, or activity that you think might appeal to the person. The point: you can make St. Paul’s a more inviting community.

Why do we want to be more inviting, welcoming, and connecting? We do it for the sake of the Gospel. We do it because Jesus says, “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.” We do it because we see Christ in every person who walks in our door. We do it because we are called to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves. We do it to build community and relationships, relationships with one another and with God. We do it because everyone who walks through our doors has the potential to transform us, to be transformed, and with us, transform the world.

I invite you to invite, welcome, and connect. And I urge you to attend the Invite-Welcome-Connect program in September. Thank you for helping to make our St. Paul’s community even more inviting, welcoming, and connecting.

Blessings, Lou+