Comments for Designating Greeters at http://pres-outlook.com , comment 1 to 1 out of 1 comments http://pres-outlook.com Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:45:08 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://pres-outlook.com/opinion/guest-commentary/7152.html#comment-3903 Thanks for refocusing our churches, as in the members, on the much needed ministry of Greeting. I appreciate your sensitivity to the 'whipsaw' Pastors face after worship between the needs and wants of members, and the need to welcome and greet our visitors. I also agree that visitors 'measure responsiveness,' and look for the warmth of smiles, the invitation to future events, a letter or an email that afternoon or the next day, and a follow up phone call within the week. However, I'd like to disagree that 'the pastor' must respond to visitors with 'coffee... lunch...a home visit...sit(ting) face-to-face.' As a pastor, I continue to do and support the ministry of greeting, and respond to visitors as you describe. But, I constantly pull on that team of members with a 'heart for greeting strangers and skill at listening' to lead our greeting and responding effort. We have imagined and are trying to implement a wider response... visitors having coffee with one member, having lunch with another, getting a phone call from a third, as well as a letter, email, or visit from me. To suggest the member's roll is to 'get names and email addresses,' and the pastor's role is to respond, perpetuates the assumption that people should join a church where they like the pastor. I hope they like me, but I want them to know and love the members even more. After all, those members are the church. I'm just the pastor. - Joel Tolbert Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100