Why does this matter?
All sorts of people come through the grand and slightly intimidating front steps of Scots on a Sunday: those seeking God and perhaps coming to a church for the first time, those returning after a bad experience at church in the past, perhaps a visitor to the city where a change of context is a time to rethink the big questions of life. Regulars coming to church may have had a fantastic or a terrible week and are struggling to get there. The reception people receive at the door can set the tone for church being a place where everyone is welcome – no matter who they are or how they are feeling. Your welcome may be part of the morning being a significant encounter with God.
We have three teams that work together to help people move from their first visit to being fully connected to our church community and to our mission to the city and the world.
What is Involved?
- The Check-in, Greet and Pathway Teams meet briefly all together for prayer at 9:50am sharp in the meeting room in the Church Office. Grab a lanyard. Need to know: who is Lunch Leader for the day, who is Kids Church Coordinator for the day.
- Move the black ‘Scots Church’ A-frame from the stairs out to the Margaret Street front area
- Check that the steps and the accessibility ramp on Margaret Street is not blocked – let the Connect Team Coordinator know if we need to speak to Cafe Portico regarding access
- Stand just inside the entrance gate
- Warmly greet and direct people into the church. There’s no need to be particularly entertaining or overly enthusiastic; just give a simple and joyful welcome. Some examples of things to say include:
- “Good morning, great to see you”
- “Welcome to church, please head up the stairs to get checked-in”
- “Welcome back, hope you had a great week”
- “Hey [person’s name], how are you? I’ll catch you inside in a bit”
- Generally, keep the conversation short and friendly so there will not be any prolonged blockage at the bottom of the stairs, however:
- If they are new, feel free to step aside and add them into Elvanto using the First Time QR code, or invite them to do it themselves on their own phone. They can then head to the Check-In area and quickly have their nametags printed.
- If they have kids, direct them to Kids Church in the Chapel after they get nametags for the family. Familiarise yourself with the Kids Church Coordinator rostered on that day and direct all new families to talk to this coordinator.
- Offer to assist families bring their pram / stroller up the stairs
- If appropriate, invite them to the Informal Lunch (run by the Lunch Leader).
- [THE LIFT IS NOT WORKING AT THE MOMENT] If someone needs wheelchair access, walk with them around to the Portico apartments on York St to gain access through the step free fire exit.
- At 10:25am, 1x Greeter should move to the Cafe/Foyer area as an usher and encourage people to be seated. Direct people without children to not sit in the parents’ seating. Direct people upstairs if downstairs starts to fill.
- People are late for all sorts of reasons, often they have pushed through getting to church despite transport or domestic challenges. We should never convey disapproval about lateness.
- Remain in these roles until the start of the Bible reading / sermon (around 10:40am)
- Return lanyards to the Connect Team box.
- There will be a Connect WhatsApp group where you can share any helpful details for following up newcomers – are they one-off tourists, looking for a new church, etc. This will greatly help the Pathway team. Tap something in during a dull moment in Craig’s talk or during News.
Team Leader
- On the day, give clear direction and constructive feedback to your team. It’s the Team Leader’s role to provide on-the-job training and direct the Greet Team in best practice
- Be familiar with the job description, particularly the vision for your team, as outlined at the start of this page.
- Be mindful of your team. Your role is to set the vision and tone, and to ensure your team members understand their roles. Be alert to those new to serving in this role and connect with them during the week.
- Familiarise yourself with the Kids Church Coordinator rostered on Elvanto that day and let your team members know
- If any complex issues arise on the day, escalate to your Coordinator or, if appropriate, the Session.
- Give your team encouragement and feedback for serving afterwards in person, or by text or email. Give your Coordinator any feedback as to what worked, what didn’t and suggestions for improvement
- Pray for your team leading up to and on the day
- Set an example: aim to arrive ahead of time, be focused on the task and be gracious with team members.
- On the day, if people do not show, contact your Coordinator. It is their job to address this.
Team Coordinator
The Coordinator(s) works behind the scenes to resource this ministry. You can read more about it here. A Coordinator will be rostered on each week (look in Elvanto) to deal with last minute drop-outs.