Let’s start with the assumption that you’re a volunteer. Let’s also assume that you’re a volunteer not because someone forced you to be, but because you really want to make a difference where you’re serving.

We know that it’s bigger than showing up once a week with the right t-shirt and standing in the right spot. We know that we’re the first people that guests come in contact with and that we set the tone for their entire experience.

But life continuously throws hardballs at us, not letting up because it’s Sunday. Sometimes it’s all we can do to make it to church.

Few things stretch and grow our faith like stepping into a ministry environment for which we feel unprepared.

– Andy Stanley

“Unprepared” is a good place to be. “Unprepared” feels like failure, but it actually looks like hidden talent.

That’s what I want us to accept and fight for. I want us to be comfortable with being unprepared, but not complacent about it. I want us to stretch our hearts – growing in faith, cultivating love, opening our eyes to a bigger vision – because we cannot maximize our effectiveness for the broken or indifferent people walking through our doors on Sundays if we do not.

You have the ability to change someone’s eternity by being the physical manifestation of the love of Jesus. 

So, why call it “Winning the Welcome?” We define a win as something you can physically point to and say, “Because that happened, today was a success.”

And if we’re honest, when was the last time we thought about whether or not a Sunday was successful?

For us, we exist to provide an attractive and authentic environment to guide people into a growing relationship with Jesus. How we serve, the words we use, how we engage with the guests determine whether their hearts are open to what happens in the auditorium.

Bigger gig than you thought, eh?

I don’t want you to memorize a handbook or have extensive training in service. Pastor Will tells us that our faith is strengthened when we remember. So, let’s just do that.

Let’s recall what it felt like to walk into a church for the first time, unsure of where to go and unprepared for what would happen next.

Then, we can smile at each guest with genuine understanding and think, “Unprepared, but you made it.”