From Being Welcomed to Helping Welcome Others

There’s something so beautiful about the love of Jesus. It has a way of meeting you exactly where you are, making you feel seen, welcomed, and reminded that you are never alone. And I think one of the sweetest things about church is being able to experience that love not only through the Word, worship, and prayer, but through the people around you, too.

For a while now, I’ve had this feeling in my heart that I wanted to do more at my church. I loved coming in on Sundays, finding my seat, worshipping, listening to the Word, and leaving feeling refreshed. I loved the friendly faces, the smiles, the “good morning!” greetings, and the feeling that I was walking into a space where I was genuinely welcomed.

But I started realizing that I didn’t just want to receive that feeling. I wanted to be part of creating it, too.

I recently started volunteering at my church, and honestly, it has been such a beautiful experience. There’s a different kind of joy that comes from serving. I’ve gone from being someone who comes to church and gets fed the Word and receives the love of the people around me, to being someone who gets to pour some of that love right back out. Serving has given me the opportunity to create deeper relationships with people I may not have crossed paths with otherwise. It’s allowed me to get to know more of the people who make up my church family and feel more connected to something bigger than just my Sunday routine.

But one of my favorite parts has been welcoming people through the doors.

There’s something about seeing a first-time visitor walk in and being able to offer them the same warmth that I’ve experienced. A smile. A “we’re so happy you’re here.” A little conversation. Maybe even helping them feel a little less nervous if they’re walking into a new church alone. There were times that I wondered if I was really making a difference, all to be reassured when guests thank us for being so welcoming or accommodating.

Because I know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of that- and now I get to help create that same feeling for someone else. 🥰

One of the sweetest parts of serving has also been experiencing the sense of community that comes with it. When I recently had surgery, I felt so much love and support from the people I had met through volunteering, in addition to my family and friends. Their kindness reminded me that I wasn’t just joining a volunteer team at church, I was experiencing the love I’ve felt at church all these years on a more personal level.

I think sometimes we can look at serving as simply filling a volunteer role or checking something off a list. But for me, it has become so much more than that. It’s a way to show up, connect, give, and love people in a tangible way. It’s also been a sweet reminder that church isn’t just somewhere we go. It’s a family we get to be a part of.

There’s something really beautiful about going from being welcomed to becoming one of the people doing the welcoming.

And if you’ve been thinking about serving at your church, maybe this is your little sign to go for it. You never know who you might meet, whose Sunday you might brighten, or how much closer to your church family you might feel simply by saying yes. Sometimes the best way to feel more connected is to step in and become part of what makes the place feel like home.