By Doug Creamer

Spring Spruce Up

            Our church has two Saturdays each spring when we get our members together to do some spring cleaning and sprucing up. There is usually a crew that works inside the building and then a crew that works outside. I am always on the outside crew. We will weed, trim bushes, plant flowers, blow off the parking lot, and put some fresh pine needles down. We share a good time of fellowship while we work together.

            I prefer to work outside, weather permitting. A few years ago, we replaced all the landscaping out front and planted new foundation shrubs. It was a big project and the new shrubs looked so small. They are growing well and needed some trimming this year. We shaped them up nicely. There is still some more to do for the next workday, but things look so much nicer outside.  

            We normally schedule our two workdays before Easter. We want to make a positive impression on our guests. The inside crew is doing the same thing for the inside of our church as the outside group is doing for the outside. They are working to make our church feel warm and inviting.

            Making a positive first impression is important for every church. Sometimes we get used to how things look and forget that guests might notice things if they appear a little less than inviting. It is important to make the parking lot, shrubs, and flower beds look attractive. Then you have to think about the foyer, Sunday school classrooms, bathrooms, and the sanctuary. We all want visitors to feel like they are being welcomed into the family of God.

            While making a positive impression inside and out is important to making guests feel welcomed to our churches, there is something else that I feel is important. There was a time when I was looking for a new church. I visited a number of churches that looked attractive. But the big thing that kept me from going back was the simple fact that NO ONE spoke to me. No one greeted me. No one shook my hand. No one made me feel welcomed. It was like they didn’t care if I was there or not, so I decided I didn’t want to go back again.

            I know we all like to see our friends at church, and that is great. We should spend time in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. But when we see an unfamiliar face in the crowd we ALL have the responsibility to speak to them and make them feel welcome. If someone sits on your row that you don’t know, speak to them and let them know you are glad that they came to your church. Let them know they are welcome in the family.

            To my readers who are looking for a church home, please remember there is no perfect church. In our church, many of our members have a T-shirt with these letters printed really big on the front: PBPWMGINFWMY. Those letters mean: Please be patient with me, God is not through with me yet! No one is perfect. We all need the grace of God. My church is full of wonderful, loving, God fearing people…but we are all far from perfect. So guess what? You can fit right in with us! Most churches are that way. You will discover imperfect people.

            I think of it this way. I believe it is important to make a positive impression with the outside and inside of our churches. Our churches should be clean and inviting for everyone, members and guests. But churches are really spiritual hospitals. Churches are places where broken people can come and find healing and restoration through a relationship with a loving God who sent His only Son to die for us. The Good News of Easter is that He rose from the grave! He stands ready to welcome all who will receive His free gift of love, hope, and a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

            I want to encourage you to welcome people who visit your church on Easter Sunday and every Sunday. They may not look or act perfect, but that’s okay because God’s not finished with you yet, either. He can do amazing things in people’s lives if we open the doors to our hearts and our churches to them. He will use you and me to make them feel welcome into His family. I believe people will visit our churches on Easter Sunday. I hope they find a place that makes them feel welcome so they can receive the grace, mercy, and love of God. 

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com