On any given Sunday we are joined by any number of guests, believers and those whom the Lord may be calling to himself. They have come to our property for one reason or another. Some just found out they have cancer and they have driven by our church every day for a decade. Others have been bothered by their guilt and are coming to church in search of an answer. Whatever brings a guest through our doors, we want them to leave with a few things: a clear sense of Christ’s love, a clear understanding of the gospel, and a clear path forward into Christ, membership, or involvement here. In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul spoke of those who witness the gospel’s power among us, and so fall on their face and “declare that God is really among you” (1Cor. 14:25). That’s what we want God to do.

Which brings us to the topic of this year’s Holiday Offering.

For some background, each year at this time our church family invests together in a special project. Last year’s project included a focus on hospitality outside the building. The exterior signs you see at entry points to the building are from last year’s offering. This year’s offering will focus on hospitality inside our building. We’re calling it, Warming Up Our Welcome. It has three parts.

Welcoming Families

In ministry to our families, and especially visiting families, we will move to an electronic child check-in system. This will help streamline the process of checking children into our system, and add an additional layer of security. At the present time, parents stop at each door where they will drop off a child and print their child’s name and various details. This adds to the time it takes to get from the car to a seat in the Worship Center. An electronic check-in system should cut down on that time and increase security.

Welcoming Spaces

We are all grateful for a wonderful facility for our ministry together. But we can take better advantage of our lobby space for more conversation and connection. First, refreshed furnishings and carpet will unify and simplify our space. Second, we have a few remodeling projects in mind. Specifically, our three lobby Welcome Centers need some updating. Then, we would also like to rethink what we’ve historically called “The Parlor,” for a monthly newcomers reception. Third, new indoor signage throughout the building. Our facility has come together in stages, and these efforts will allow us to maximize our limited lobby space for improved guest care.

Welcoming Gifts

These gifts are what we give to guests. In a given year we may see as many as 200-300 visitors. Not everyone identifies themselves as a guest. But we want those we do identify to know that which is of first importance, the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have in mind to invest in boxes of a specific book, Who Is Jesus?, by Greg Gilbert. We have some other things in mind—perhaps branded coffee, as we’ve done before, or a Heritage mug. But in addition to some information about our ministry, the most important welcome piece is the book. We want guests to say, “they were ready for me, they made the most important things plain.” This may be the only gospel-explaining book that some have on a shelf at home. We want them to remember where to come when the Spirit works to draw them to Christ.

Our goal is $18,000–22,000

 Join us in welcoming and serving our guests. You can give by marking an offering envelope with Holiday Offering. Or, if you give online, you can select the designated box for the offering.