LEAD THE WAY
Continuing Ed
WELCOMING NEW PEOPLE

One of the questions we ask in our Gathering Guide is: Who could we invite into our family?

We hope and pray that new people will join our MicroChurch families. Let’s do a great job of welcoming them.

HOW?

1. Welcome Them

• The new person may join one of your gatherings or one of your community (fellowship) or mission events. Make sure to welcome them.

• Have everyone introduce themselves. This could be as simple as sharing names or using some icebreaker to get to know each other.

• You could introduce what your MicroChurch ministry is about by using The Way bookmark.

• You could give them a Gathering Guide bookmark to show them how your gatherings go.

2. Visit Them

• Beyond just welcoming new people to your gathering, visit with them personally, outside the MicroChurch gathering.

• You may want to visit them with the person who invited them. This will make them more comfortable and reinforce that relationship.

• If they are of the opposite sex, make sure you visit as a man/woman team or meet in a public place.

3. Ask Them

• Get to know them by asking questions, such as:

  • What can you tell me about yourself?

  • How did you hear about our MicroChurch?

  • How was your experience of our gathering?

  • Are you thinking about joining our MicroChurch? Why?

  • What do you hope to get out of it?

  • What do you hope to contribute to it?

  • What questions do you have of us?

• It would be helpful to also explore the person’s experience of church.

  • What has your experience of church been like?

• And finally, it’s also important to explore the person’s faith.

  • What’s your story of how you came to Jesus?

  • What’s your relationship with Jesus like?

  • What’s your relationship with the Father like?

  • What’s your relationship with the Holy Spirit like?

• The Spirit may lead you to other questions.

• It goes without saying, that this is not to be an interrogation. No bright lights and no “We have ways of making you talk”! Let this be a natural conversation. And usually one question just leads to another. But the questions above are important to somehow cover.

• You may not be able to cover all these questions in one visit. Don’t overwhelm people with questions. Pace yourself and visit again, if necessary.

4. Next for Them

• Depending on their answers to the questions above, discern next steps with them.

• Such as:

  • Discipleship — Coming to Christ, maturing in Christ, and discipling others toward Christ

  • Assurance — Growing secure in the Father’s love

  • Empowerment — Filling with the Holy Spirit

  • Healing — Forgiveness and healing from church hurt

  • Equipping — Discovering and using their spiritual gifts

• Follow The Way does a good job of addressing these topics.

5. Connect Them

• The Gathering Guide also asks: How can we stay connected this week?

• Don’t welcome new people alone. Draw in your whole MicroChurch family.

• Encourage others to connect with them over coffee or a meal or some recreational activity.

• Don’t be afraid to quarterback this and call the plays—”How do you think you could connect with so and so soon?”

• And start new Discovery Discipleship Groups for them, ideally with the person who invited them, using Follow The Way.

Closing Questions

• How is BIG church doing at welcoming new people?

• Why can MicroChurches do a great job at welcoming new people?

• Who needs to be welcomed to your MicroChurch?

• And once again, as noted above, this session on welcoming new people, doesn’t just apply to the new people, but to all the people in your MicroChurch. So who else needs some personal attention from you or from the family? How can you make that happen?