This post was originally published on my other blog, MinistryPlace.Net
If you live in a community of any size, there is a decent probability that one of the churches will have hired new or replacement staff members. Uprooting and moving a family two miles or two thousand miles is a big deal. How can the believers in your local community make them feel welcome?
1) Partner with their church for help on and before move-in day. There is a lot going on at that time. Helping with things like meals, childcare, and helping to clean the house ahead of time can be a huge blessing.
2) Partner with other churches in your community to prepare a welcome basket with items such as gift cards to local restaurants and grocery stores, a few sweet treats for the spouse (and kids), and contact information for the staff at other churches in the community. Having that information right away is a great way to get them involved in the faith community right away.
3) Give their equivalent staff at your own church a gift card to a local restaurant or coffee shop so they can go out together and get to know each other.
4) If they are a youth or children’s worker, work with the local school district to help secure athletic passes for all the youth and children’s workers in the community. Many times school districts (especially in smaller communities) will do this for free as a “good-will/partnership” gesture.
5) Help your church host a luncheon or coffee meeting for all the staff of that role in the community, so they can get to know each other right away and start partnering for the work of the Gospel in your community.
If you do only one or all five, these gestures will go a long way in helping the new church staff in your community get started in a way that partners them with other church staff in the community. They know they cannot do it all alone. We are better together!
