That was the question recently put to a small group of parishioners by our rector.  The reason was a number of comments from people who have visited the Chapel of the Cross and for some reason felt that they had not been as welcomed as they would have liked.  None of the comments were so specific that we could clearly tell what had caused the feeling but they do indicate that we need to take a look at ourselves and examine just how we relate to each other and to our newcomers and visitors.

Our discussion brought out the fact that we have a number of groups within the parish who have a direct effect on the neighborly atmosphere of the parish.  The greeters provide a welcoming arrival as we enter the sanctuary. They serve to make everyone who enters the church feel that they are a guest in the house of the Lord.  Hopefully they will feel that they are truly welcome at the Chapel of the Cross.

Another group is the ushers.  They not only hand out service leaflets and Crossings and assist with seating, but they offer a friendly face to all who enter.

The coffee hour on Sunday morning is probably the time when parishioners interact most closely with newcomers and visitors.  Our Loaves and Fishes teams do a great job in providing the coffee, tea, or lemonade for our enjoyment.  The newcomers' table provides a place to greet the newcomers and provide them information about the church.  It is an opportunity to introduce the newcomer to other parishioners.

In our discussion with the rector we agreed that having more parishioners take an active interest in coming to the newcomers' table when they see someone being signed up would have a very positive effect upon the newcomers impression of the parish.  Another way is to be alert to people who seem to be new to the parish and just introduce yourself to them.  Someone has remarked "You can tell the newcomers because they are the ones looking at the pictures on the columns in the dining room."  If we spot someone like that, we can help them to get to know us better by a friendly introduction.