How to create a welcoming environment for people of all abilities
A philosophy of inclusion from a pastoral perspective
- Open doors start with an open and welcoming heart.
- Resist the desire for perfection. Church is not a show or a product. Auditions, rigorous timing of things, scripting- they make for a beautiful event while making a high entry wall. The most important aspect of service is “Where is the persons heart with Christ- what is their attitude” not “how much talent do they have”
- Pray- ask God for help and for His presence and His honour
- Keep in mind how concerned Jesus was for the poor, the sick, and those with disabilities. Isaiah 61:1-3. Jesus’ team included fishermen, a former tax collector, a murderer (Paul)- he didn’t start with an all star cast
- Vision leaks so the leaders need to keep on modeling and “preaching” being friendly and welcoming and inclusive
- Expect a little bit of resistance and discomfort. We crave comfort and familiarity and so when people are different than us it takes a bit for us to adjust and grow-- Unfortunately, we’ve had people leave our church because of our focus on the poor
- It’s of critical importance that the pastor(s) and other church leaders- those who set the tone and who are in charge- to prioritize the welcoming of all people
- We have much to learn from those who we worship and serve with. For those who are pastors and leaders- we are not the only teachers
- Be warm, be friendly, be attentive, be available, take a genuine interest, follow up with folks, encourage mingling, stand at the back and greet people as they come in
- Don’t let “red tape” get in the way of people feeling welcome and getting involved. Don’t create unnecessary barriers. Have a flexible structure
- Every believer has a gift from the Holy Spirit. Every believer is needed and is called to active service regardless of ability
- Make people comfortable- building temperature, water bottles, don’t centre people out by asking them to introduce themselves publicly when they are visiting, all people the freedom to move, sit, clap. Take care how loud the sound system is and how big the fonts are on things. Tell mums and dads that its alright if their child makes a bit of noise- you love having them there. Make copies of the sermon so that people who are new can read it at a slower pace,
- Make sure the facility is accessible and clean- especially the washroom
- People are not a project. People are people- we all have different abilities, strengths, and something to offer. Our goal is to be a church of people, not a church for (insert whatever sub group that comes to mind)
- Pastor: Close the gap between you and the people. We are all fellow pilgrims trying to follow Jesus and live a holy life. We have the same struggles and the same challenges as anyone else
- Love who you got
- Love the children of your church. Involve them. Don’t mind the noise and the mess
- Explain what’s going on-- It’s our tradition here to have a greeting time. Say hello, help yourself to some water, (note - for some the greeting time is overwhelming so if that person wants to go downstairs etc that’s perfectly fine)
- Have some snacks-- some people come to church hungry, some people come with diabetes and need some sugar to regulate
- Ask people what they need and how we can help them- i.e a blind person will not want you to steer them around- offer them your elbow or ask them how they you can assist them. A person who is in a wheelchair or scooter will maybe be glad if you served them food at a luncheon (sometimes they want to get it themselves- just ask)
- Every person is valuable
- What do you do at your church? I want to learn more, so please help me so I can do a better job of serving at mine.