By Jan Cagno

How do you welcome the visitors who come to your Sunday school? Sometimes, we fail to realize the importance of those first few moments with newcomers. They should be made to feel instantly comfortable and at ease. Choosing a Sunday school should be a family affair, with each member of the family satisfied that there is a warm welcome for him or her. Many Sunday schools have greeters posted at their doors with a friendly smile and someone is available to show newcomers the way to the opening exercises or their individual classes. It should not be necessary for visitors to have to hunt someone to ask directions in order to get where they belong.

Alert your Sunday school leaders to the fact that each adult and youth Sunday school class should have a host and hostess who will be responsible for helping visitors to feel comfortable in class. In the children’s classes, it will need to be the responsibilities of the teachers and helpers. The children of the class will quickly take their cue from the attitudes of those who are teaching them and will be an open, welcoming kind of class if this is the example that is set before them. Make sure that teachers in every class extend a warm welcome to all visitors and make every effort to draw them into the activities of the class. Most visitors will not enjoy an over abundance of special attention, but would rather be accepted as one of the class after they have been welcomed and introduced. Most visitors will not want to be referred to constantly during the class period or pointed out in any special way. They will appreciate feeling included without feeling put on the spot. Remember that they may not be able to answer questions about previous lessons or quote verses that the rest of the class have memorized, but don’t assume that they are Bible illiterate just because they have not been a part of your class before. If your guests are children or spouses of visiting speakers, don’t assume that they are naturally Bible scholars and will be able to answer all kinds of questions concerning Bible truths.

It is wise to discover the reason for the visit. If the student is visiting a relative and has come to Sunday school with them, then you, of course, want to show your appreciation for their visit and let them know that you hope they will always come when they are visiting in your area. However, if the student has recently moved to the area or has lived there for some time but has just recently decided to "try" your Sunday school, then you will want to make sure that you get enough information from the student to make follow-up possible. You will want to make every effort to make his visit so pleasant that he will want to come back. You need to recognize that the welcome you extend to visitors will help determine whether you Sunday school will grow.

(This article appeared in the "Summer, 1991" issue of "The Herald.")