Love Is Warm and Welcoming.

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.“ – John 13:35

Great churches are built on Christian love. Love is the biblical mark of true discipleship. Without love, we cannot claim to be true followers of Christ. This was evident in the fellowship that existed within the church in Jerusalem.

Many people claim to love God but lack love for their neighbors, which is a sign that their love for God is deficient (1 John 2:9-11). A congregation without love is not one that will grow to become a great church.

Love for fellow believers is the greatest facilitator of growth in any church. Newcomers and visitors must feel welcomed in your church if you want to grow. If people do not feel loved in your church, they will quickly turn to other churches where love is evident.

Teach people to express Christian love within the church. Love is a powerful force that attracts people. Church members should have opportunities to shake hands or, in a healthy way, demonstrate Christian love.

In any church where Christians do not engage with one another regularly, growth will not occur (James 3:16). This love must extend beyond the church to reach non-believers. Church members should be encouraged to befriend non-believers without emphasizing their sinful state.

Jesus had a friendly attitude toward sinners, even though He did not approve of their sinful behaviors. Sinners were not intimidated in His presence. When the woman met Jesus at the well, she conversed openly with Him, and within a day, she became a marketing agent for Jesus’ ministry. Jesus accepted her even though He disapproved of her sinful ways. Jesus dined with Zacchaeus even though He did not agree with his wrongful practices.

Sinners should easily come into the church so they can have the opportunity to be transformed into saints. Similarly, do not welcome them with a “holier-than-thou” attitude. In my local church, when all our seats are occupied and there are no places for visitors, we ask our workers to give up their seats for them. We must go beyond our usual ways to welcome people into our churches.

Every growing church uses love as its primary currency. Churches that love will grow; sinners will respond to love because churches cannot grow without sinners coming in. Do not make visitors feel like they do not belong, or they will leave right after the service and never return. Every visitor is a potential member that God has sent you. Do not let hostility prevent people from returning to your church.

Ask yourself: “What will visitors remember about me and my church when they go home? Will they have good memories of what happened from the moment they entered the church premises to the final blessing?“

I have stayed in many hotels and noticed that every time, we are given a questionnaire to evaluate the service. This does not happen in many of our churches. We do not know what visitors think about what we offer. We act as though nothing happened and continue our ways, even knowing we are not making an impact.

I almost lost an important member during his first visit to our church. The ushers did not allow him to park where he wanted without explaining why. However, this man was a doctor who needed to leave quickly after the service for an urgent matter. He was unhappy with how he was treated. But, thanks be to God, we rectified the situation. From then on, the doctor became a pillar in our church.

Church growth experts argue that first-time visitors decide to stay in your church long before the pastor steps up to preach. Everything begins the moment they are welcomed into the church, even before the service determines whether they will return. I can testify to certain things I did in the past that led me to lose potential members.

I did not realize it at the time, but today, I am wiser. I used to use occasions such as wedding and ordination services to address negative situations in my church and respond to criticisms. By doing so, I gave visitors a poor impression of the church.

The size of the church has nothing to do with friendliness. The lack of love will drive people away from any church, whether small or large. A seed grows in the right time and climate. Churches grow in the climate and soil of love.

Keep in mind that the conversion of sinners is the true engine of church growth. If our churches are not welcoming to sinners, they will not grow. Rigid and unfriendly attitudes toward such people will stifle growth. I am not saying we should overlook sin, but we must be realistic and allow sinners to reform over time.

This text is an excerpt from the book “From Small to Medium to Mega” written by Bishop Charles Agyinasare.

We invite you to read the next article: “Love Looks at the Inside, Not the Outside.”

GROWTH THROUGH LOVE. GROWTH THROUGH LOVE. GROWTH THROUGH LOVE