Rock Hill District UMC
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Hand-in-Hand in Ministry Together

Resources to equip and encourage the living out of our calling as Christians and churches to make disciples in the name of Jesus Christ:

 

Be certified as a "Welcoming Congregation."

What Is Welcoming? Welcoming is how we show kindness, acceptance, and hospitality to everyone - guests and members alike. People catch glimpses of Christ through their encounters with us. In a nation that's becoming more unchurched all the time, we need to ensure that seekers encounter in us a Christ that they want to know better.

 

Looking within, we all need to place ourselves in the footsteps of a visitor to find welcoming barriers. Resources such as Mystery Guest Audit and Walk-Thru Assessment can help you discover and address all kinds of physical and perception barriers.

 

Certification
Igniting Ministry celebrates and recognizes the efforts of local congregations to prepare actively and intentionally to receive newcomers. By attending training events or by using Igniting Ministry resources, United Methodists can develop new hospitality skills to help bring people through their church doors and give them a reason to stay. 

One mark of this recognition is certification of Welcoming Congregations. When your church is designated a Welcoming Congregation, it will receive a wooden plaque (sent at no cost to you) recognizing your efforts. And the Welcoming Certification seal will be added to your church's listing in the Find-a-Church database (www.unitedmethodist.org ) as a special designation to call attention to your church as newcomers search for a church in your area.

Displaying your plaque in a highly visible area of the church will bring a sense of pride to your members and affirm to newcomers your willingness to welcome them into your fellowship.

 

Lay Pastors Ministry, Inc

The Lay Pastors Ministry is a system of congregational care by laypeople. It is the way hundreds of Christian churches on four continents are fulfilling Christ’s command to “take care of my sheep."   Pastors alone cannot meet the needs of every member of the congregation.

The Lay Pastors Ministry trains and equips lay people to provide authentic Christian care to other members of their congregation. This effective, consistent care is provided through the acrostic PACE.

P – Prayer
A – Being Available
C – Contact
E – Be an Example of “God’s love with skin on”

The Lay Pastors Ministry does not take the place of the ordained clergy but works with them in providing pastoral care for members of the congregation. In 1 Peter 5:2, we are told to “tend the flock of God, care for one another.”