Week 1 / Uncomfortable: Breaking Walls

What we're gonna be talking about over the next four weeks is how we as a church can be more welcoming. How can we as a church be something that that people desire to be a part of and that we're a good front door? I listen to a podcast on my way home from the Unstuck Church which I listen to them all often. And the Unstuck Church truly is is I think I've talked about them many times before, but the Unstuck Church is a group that that goes into churches and they sometimes are a [00:00:58] (37 seconds)  #WelcomingChurchSeries

Just a couple weeks ago, we had so much snow and rain or snow rather. My road was covered and on the way home from something. It was late in the evening. We came home and there was a car off the road and it was weird because that previous Sunday I just mentioned in my sermon that there was a different car off the road. That happens a lot in Hamlin, they don't really plow the roads very well. That I I just drove past because I ran out of time. And this time I had some time so I actually stopped. I took my own advice for my sermon and I stopped and [00:01:52] (34 seconds)  #DoWhatYouPreach

So I listened to this podcast and one of the things they talk about is the experience of Sunday morning, which is an important thing. Now, the experience of Sunday morning does not top the list of important things for our church to focus on. The tops of the list are that we teach from the bible. We teach the word of God true and as accurate as I can. That's the top of the list. If we're not doing that right, it doesn't matter what our experience looks like. [00:03:05] (41 seconds)  #ScriptureFirst

When we play softball, we play against other churches. God doesn't have a hand in I don't think he does any of that anyways, but we are one of many churches. In the the community of Hilton, the churches work so incredibly well together. Our youth group HYM is a perfect example of how the churches don't do things the way the business model suggests, but yet we're looking to glorify God and beat his kingdom here on earth. [00:04:22] (39 seconds)  #KingdomOverCompetition

The churches work well together but as long as we're teaching scripture and we're singing worship to him, what are the things that sets Parma Christian different from the other churches? Some of it is what version of the bible we read or or some of the small nuances of of faith that that shift and change over time. Some of it is how welcoming of a community are we? I've seen a a handful of people, you know, we're we're we are absolutely a smaller church, no doubt. [00:05:02] (41 seconds)  #SmallChurchBigHeart

What experience do you get when you come into a church building? I know a lot of times, I'll say out front, this is a bad analogy, but I'll use it anyways. Think about when you go to Disney. If you've never been to Disney, sorry, it is a lot of fun. But if you've been to Disney before, think about how Disney World treats their guests. There is a reason why people say Disney World is magical. [00:05:48] (40 seconds)  #ChurchGuestExperience

I think all the kids are in the back. It's not because there's real magic. It is because they have a lot of people working in front and behind the scenes to make that place clean and welcoming and exciting, and they put a lot of time, effort, and for Disney, a lot of money into making an experience that you will never ever forget. How does that correlate to church? I love my brother, always says, he takes up the Disney model for garbage cans. [00:06:28] (42 seconds)  #MagicIsInTheDetails

Something as simple and stupid as garbage cans. Disney's model for garbage cans is put them literally everywhere, so that when you have something to throw away, you have a place to put it. It's something simple and as simple as that, but it makes a difference. To start this idea off, the the uncomfortable getting out of our comfort zone of of our own inside groups. Before we talk about how we do that, let's take a step back. [00:07:10] (41 seconds)  #PracticalWelcome