I'm reviewing the book 27 Tough Questions Pastors Ask by Dick Hardy. For those of you that are in church work or considering work, you should buy this book. It is filled with practical insights from a pastoral perspective. Here are some of my favorite quotes from chapter 23.
Putting guests on the spot (158) - this one makes me cringe. I currently attend a church in which they ask the guests to raise their hands. This past Sunday the statement was made, "Come on. It's okay. Raise your hand." It made me sick to my stomach. I'm a Christian and I haven't even raised my hand to get the visitor packet.
Pouring it on (158) - this one has been a problem as well. In a church that I used to attend, we were a small congregation. So, whenever a guest attended, we were perhaps "too friendly". The feedback we received is so many people were introducing themselves to the guests that it was overwhelming and intimidating.
This is a hard balance. How do you show genuine interest in people without them thinking that you are trying to stalk them?
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