The front door

Being 6'6" is rough sometimes..not only do I often find myself ducking through doors but also banging into a lot of things. Church is often the same way...our "front door" experience is often one for people to duck and many of our happenings seem to simply be places for people to "bang" around.

As I have been a church staff member for almost 3 years now I have learned a lot about the "front door". If you're not familiar with the term "front door", it simply means the experience someone has coming to your church before they step any further into the "house". The front door experience would be coffee, greeters, information areas and Sunday services. All of these open the church's door...sometimes it can be huge and other times small.

When I say small I'm talking about the feeling and notions people come away with as well as the clarity of why they should move into the "living room" and "kitchen" areas. Now this analogy may sound like it is getting extended too far but think about it. We only welcome someone into the intimate parts of our house if we trust them and that's exactly what many come to church scrutinizing...can we be trusted?

At Four Corners we are constantly refining the flow from one place to the next...making the door large and welcoming with friendly people greeting everyone at the doors, a coffee bar, a clear place for information, and a service that creatively engages and challenges people to look at what Jesus has to say about our lives. We are currently working on simplifying the process for people to move from the "front door" experience to the other rooms where community and connection happen. Making church more of an experience than a weekly event.

The question we ask ourselves and I believe all churches should...is our front door open and welcoming?