Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. (Romans 16:16)
Okay, that’s not really the way we greet each other in our culture. In some parts of the world greeting each other with a kiss on the cheek is still in practice, but in our culture today, it’s pretty much a one-way ticket to “slapsville” or a court date. Until I began writing this I don’t think I’d ever realized how many times the “holy kiss” is recommended in the Bible.
The Apostle Paul actually suggests it four times; the verse above in Romans 16, as well as 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, and 1 Thessalonians 5:26. And, the Apostle Peter also encourages his readers to pucker up in 1 Peter 5:14.
Again, that’s not what we do in our culture, and the Bible is not commanding us to greet each other in that manner. How we greet each other is really not the point. The point of those passages is that we do greet one another. Going out of our way, walking around the auditorium before and after a service, making the effort to “greet one another” is both biblical and critical to our health and our growth as a local body of believers.
If you were in the service this past Sunday, it probably did not escape your notice that we had a lot of first-time guests. (We don’t have “visitors.” We have “guests.”) Some come because many of us are intentionally trying to invite people. Some come because they’re new in the area. Some come because of our online presence and they decide to come check it out in person. Whatever the reason, the Lord is graciously sending first-time guests our way almost every week, and we are grateful that He is.
And, the greeting that they receive is a critical factor in their decision to come back again. In fact, it may be the critical factor. Because it has been shown that a majority of first-time church guests make up their minds about coming back again within the first 8 minutes of arriving on the campus. Signage, available parking, campus appearance, children’s areas and activities, even the cleanliness of the bathrooms, can all be contributing factors within those first 8 minutes. But, none are more important than the way other people make them feel.
Of course, like most churches, and Walmart, we have “official” greeters. Or, as I like to call them, Frontliners. That ministry is vitally important, and if you’d like more information about possibly serving in that area, please see Gary Bishop or call the church office. But, beyond the Frontliners, we need everyone to make an effort to greet others every Sunday; especially those that may be new, or that you don’t know. It’s easier than you think:
“Hi, I don’t know if we’ve met before, or if this is your first time here, but my name’s ________. It’s so nice to meet you.” If it turns out that it is their first time, they’ll probably tell you that it is. And, you can say something like: “We’re excited that you’re here! You’re welcome to sit with us, if you’d like.” There now, that wasn’t nearly as awkward as trying to reach in and kiss someone, was it? (For real, do not try to kiss our guests. I don’t have enough bail money for all of you.)
Seriously, Gateway does a better job of greeting and making new folks feel welcome than any church I’ve ever been a part of. But, as we embark on a new year it’s a good time to remind all of us that, while greeting with a kiss may go out of style, being friendly never does.
I love being your Pastor, (But, I probably won’t kiss you.)
PC