Welcome Statements for Worship
The welcome with which worship begins is a decisive moment, setting the tone for all that follows. For visitors and regulars alike, it’s an opportunity to put the church’s best foot forward, embodying the hospitality of the Gospel. And done well, the opening welcome makes possible the first movement of worship’s symphony: “gathering.” Until we feel genuinely welcome, we can hardly “gather.”
So why not freshen up your congregation’s opening welcome? To get your juices flowing, here’s an example (and links to two more). Feel free to tailor, combine, or otherwise transform these to your heart’s content!
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WORDS OF WELCOME
Maybe you need forgiveness, or maybe you need to forgive...
Maybe you’re tired and you need a little space to breathe...
Maybe you’re trying church for the first time, or maybe you’re trying church for the last time...
Maybe you’ve spent your whole life wondering if God really loves you...
Maybe you’re lonely... Maybe you’re sick... Maybe you came here looking for a miracle...
Maybe came here looking for another church but got disoriented and came here instead, and now it’s too late to get up and walk out...
Maybe, with God, there are no accidents...
Maybe, with God, there is hope and healing and miraculous companionship...
Maybe, with God, there is space to breath and forgiveness on top of forgiveness...
Maybe, with God, there is love...
Maybe, with God here in our midst, we will hear those words that still split open the heavens, “You are my son! You are my daughter! You are my beloved. You. You are the pride of my life. In you I am well pleased!”
Maybe this is why we gather together, week after week after week, here at [church name here].
No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome in this place - not just by me, but by the God who revealed herself in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, our brother and our friend.
So, welcome to [church name here]!
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Finally, here are two other examples, this one from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Community, and this one from Brentwood Christian Church.
Happy welcoming!
The SALT Team