You Had Me at Hello

First impressions. They're so important. I remember going to a restaurant years ago with about eight of my friends. Eight! That's a big check! All the restaurant's staff continued to walk by us without a greeting or even eye contact. It went on for a rather long time so we decided to try elsewhere. For the record, that restaurant has since gone out of business. Not much of a surprise.  

We always remember our first impression of any place. Isn't that why Walmart decided to hire the front door greeter? It's those first impressions that are often remembered the most. Whether it's a Walmart, a restaurant or even a church, we are generally full of assumptions based on that initial interaction. 

I remember a long time ago coming here to Fellowship Church. A gentleman named Rich Hall greeted me enthusiastically at the front door with a smile, his wife Barbara introduced herself, then Ben Lord, who worked the coffee bar offered me a cup of coffee and snack. I then walked into the Auditorium and Pastor Andy came up to my wife and I and introduced himself. None of this was overwhelming. It was all heartfelt and sincere. FC, in the words of the movie Jerry Maguire, 'had me at hello'....... Sorry, I had to. 

I recently went to a nice restaurant with my wife....so nice that they had one of those Crumb Scrapers/ Sweepers. I joked to my wife in front of the waiter that we should get one of those to impress the family at Thanksgiving. The waiter ended up coming back and gave us one! That is next level customer service! This is what I want at our church. I want us to go to beyond expectations.

We don't point to a bathroom, we lead them there. We don't say hi, we introduce ourselves and get to know them. We remember their name next week (even if we have to cheat and write it down somewhere). We do our best to develop a relationship with them ourselves, then we introduce them down the road to others we feel they would get along with nicely. We encourage them (comfortably) to get involved, whether it's serving or in a group. We know it's the best way they will get to know others. We do all we can to make their Fellowship Church experience the best it can be. Because if we get it right and they continue coming, the chances of them being introduced to Jesus Christ get better and better. And once that happens everyone celebrates! Life change- up and to the right. It all matters! 

So let me ask all of you: Where do you think we can go as a church to do even better? What have you seen somewhere else that you think would work nicely here? Who among your fellow FCers should be on our Greeting Team? How about you, would you like to get more involved? 

It starts with us but can end with eternal ramifications!