Congratulations! You’ve searched and searched for that church to call home and you’ve finally found the one. You love the atmosphere, the people seem nice, and it meets all your requirements that you were looking for in a church. But now what?
So many times, I’ve seen people search for the perfect church to call home just to let every opportunity that the church provides slip through their fingertips once they’ve found one. Eventually they start becoming less and less content and they start looking for a new church or stop going all together because they felt as though they weren’t getting spiritually fed. These same people usually never form any real close bonds with anyone in the congregation.
Whether you are new to your church or you have been attending for quite some time and really don’t know many people, here are some tips on how to get to know other members of your congregation.
Grab a Church Directory
If you can grab a directory. This is a phone book, if you will, with information for every member that attends. Some have pictures of each family and others only have phone numbers. This will give you a general idea of at least how many people are in the congregation. If you really want to go for extra credit, make it a priority to meet a new family or person each week and mark them off in your directory once you have met them.
Join a Sunday School Class
This is key, especially if you have a fear of meeting new people or have a fear of large crowds. This gets you in the perfect setting with 10 to 20 people (maybe even less depending on the church) and you’re able to meet just a few people right off the bat instead of an entire congregation. Once you develop a relationship or two in your Sunday school class it will make interacting with others that you may not know a little bit easier. I’ve also learned that Sunday school groups tend to be their own small families within the church family.
The people in my Sunday school class know more about me than almost anyone in our church. There have been times that someone in our class has needed extra help and we’ve all come together to pray, lift-up, and support that person. I’ve also heard of other classes in our church being the same way.
Take Advantage of Sunday Morning Fellowship
If you’re new to a church, the best way to get to know people is to show up early and interact with everyone before the service. Almost every church I have ever been to has some sort of coffee stand in the foyer for people to get their coffee and mingle with others before the service. This is a good way to not only meet new people but it’s also a good way to get information about the different activities that your church puts on for you to possibly get involved in.
When I first started attending my church, I used to purposefully avoid this time like the plague. I’m socially awkward so the thought of meeting new people was scary to me. Eventually though, with the help of a few people from my Sunday School class I started mingling more and was able to effectively meet most, if not all, the people that are in our congregation.
Don’t Sit with the Same People
If you’ve ever been to a church BBQ or Potluck, you know exactly why I’m saying this. So often we end up treating church lunches and dinners like lunch in the high-school cafeteria. Family units always sit together with close family friends and it never changes. Believe me, I’m just as guilty as the next person when it comes to this. In fact, I take it a step further and even sit at the exact same table every single time.
The point of these dinners is so you can get to know the people in your church. They are meant to bring EVERYONE closer together. If you’re constantly sitting with the same people at the same table every time, you’re missing out getting to know someone else.
Get Involved
If you’re going to church on Sunday morning, listening from the back half of the room, leaving, and then not engaging in any activities throughout the week, odds are you are missing out on multiple opportunities to get to know people in your congregation on a more personal level. The activities that churches normally schedule are meant to bring people closer together as a family.
If you’re really wanting to connect with people that you know you share things in common with, see if there are any ministries within the church that you can help with that interest you. If you know what your spiritual gift is and can find a ministry within the church to get involved in that matches your spiritual gift, then you’ll not only be getting closer to some of the members of your congregation, but you’ll also be using the gift that God gave you for His purpose.