You're welcome...?!

I have just today begun a placement at a local church..

This meant that this morning I was a visitor...

Now I have committed to attending this church, working with and for them for the next 15 months or so. If I had not, if I was just a casual visitor, trying to find a church that would welcome me, would I go back?

Well let's just say that it was a very confusing experience. When I arrived I was handed four, yes that's 4! different pieces of paper, along with a hymn book. You needed to be either very observant or well rehearsed in Anglican worship to follow what was going on - and I am nether! No-one suggested that when to stand or and at one point everyone suddenly faced the back! I realised that this was to hear the Gospel read, but I have a pretty churchy background...

All this is not to say that the people were not welcoming, especially once it had been announced who I was, but perhaps we all need to look at how our routines look to those who are not "in". It may seem superfluous to us to say which piece of paper you need next, or to explain how we are going to do communion, but believe me, as the one person who'd returned to the pew, only to find that everyone else was still standing round the altar, if you want to be welcoming, you need to work at it!!