Welcoming/Engagement

• Most parishes are “friendly,” but very few are “welcoming.” This is the number one priority for many parishes.
• If you were a newcomer to your parish would you feel welcome?
• Does your parish have a welcoming environment for current/new parishioners and visitors?
• Engagement begins with personal contact and continues with follow through.
• People have a desire to be wanted, needed, and engaged.
• An emotional connection is stronger than a rational one.
• Archbishop Thomas Murphy – “Belonging leads to believing.”
• When attending Mass or parish events, be on the look-out for people that look “new,” “lost,” or “need help.” Approach them and ask how you can help. Take the little extra step to introduce yourself.
• Sit in different areas of church when attending Mass. You will probably notice people you haven’t seen before. Are these people welcomed?
• When attending Mass or other church activities, move to the middle of the pew and leave the end open so others can join you.
• Don’t assume all of the regular parishioners feel welcome. Remember the elderly of your parish that built the church.
• Try this exercise: Look at Mass and other parish events through the eyes of a new parishioner. Welcoming opportunities will magically appear. Compare notes and discuss with your spouse. Or, ask a friend to attend and offer their thoughts.
• Constantly invite family, friends, and people you meet to join you at Mass.
• Make sure your weekend Mass is a welcoming event:
  • Greeters before and after Mass.
  • Ushers walk people to their pews (especially people they don’t recognize)
  • Parishioners introduce each other at beginning of Mass
  • Priest greets people as they are leaving
• Do you have a parish “welcome” committee? Encourage all parish ministries to have a welcoming procedure.
• “Mentoring” Families – match new parishioners with a current mentor family (by demographics) to attend Mass and parish events together throughout the year and develop a personal relationship.
• Registration process – encourage all new parishioners to register. Make sure new parishioners are visited by parish priest, deacon or staff during the registration process. Does the pastor/priest call or visit new parishioners?
• Welcome Packets:
  • Facts/figures about the parish (annual stewardship report)
  • Schedule of Masses, other sacraments and parish activities
  • List of parish ministries
  • Contact information for parish staff and lay leaders
  • Copy of parish mission statement
  • Stewardship brochures and prayer cards
  • Parish newsletter
  • Any parish trinkets to give away
• Welcome letter from the pastor – within a week or two after they are registered.
• Welcome letter to new school parents.
• Welcome letter to new PSR families (in most parishes, PSR families feel like “second-class” citizens).
• Welcome visit – from priest, deacon or welcome committee. Keep the visit short and no more than a couple of people.
• Welcome Event – schedule a periodic event to get to know people better. Schedule after Mass or during the evening. Each new parishioner should receive an invitation. Have nametags, have a couple of parish ministry leaders give brief talks, allow for questions and answers, take pictures and post on website. (i.e. New Parishioner Dinners, Meet the Priest, schedule home parties, and invite new parishioners and new priests).
• List new parishioners in bulletin, on the website, and in the annual stewardship report.
• Does your parish provide for cultural diversity?
• Does your parish reach out beyond its parish borders? Invite the local community to attend events?
• Easter and Christmas postcard or hand-out with pictures of parish staff and calendar of upcoming events.
• Prior to Mass, the priest asks everyone to introduce themselves to those around them.
• Train parish ministry leaders and current parishioners to look for new parishioners and introduce themselves and invite them to activities.
• Before Mass, the priest asks parishioners for things to pray for and incorporate into Prayers of the Faithful.
• Annual Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast
• Annual Stewardship Renewal Process – call new volunteers within first week of sign-up.
• Lobby of church has information desk like a concierge at a hotel.
• Funerals, weddings, events with many non-Catholics: have the priest explain what is happening during the ceremony and what it means for Catholics.
• “Instructional” Mass – better formation of all Catholics.
• Catholic Schools Week – have school children hand-out “thank you” cards to all parishioners at all Masses.
• Stewardship Committee Member – oversees welcoming activities of all ministries.
• From the book Rebuilt:
  • Look at things from an “unchurched” person’s point of view
  • Provide a wonderful weekend experience
  • Get church-goers to be active
  • Give homilies in a 5 – 6 week series throughout the year. Helps “connect the dots” and reinforce messages each week by building upon it.
• Name tags for all parishioners to wear at Mass and temporary tags for visitors.
• Website information in different languages.
• At beginning of Mass, the priest leaves the altar and walks up to new people and welcomes them and introduces them. Or, from the altar, the priest welcomes new parishioners and visitors by name.
• Sign of Peace
• Eucharistic Ministers shake hands and hug when they come to the altar (include priest and servers)
• Smile, shake everyone’s hand around you, introduce yourself to people you do not know, including children
• Monthly Ministry Appreciation – first Monday of each month, guest speaker, and attendance prize (gift certificate).
• Invite new and current parishioners to join small faith sharing groups.
• Bulletins – when writing articles, pretend the reader is new to the parish. Many regular parishioners feel like “outsiders” in their own parish.
  • Spell out acronyms
  • Give directions to meeting rooms
  • List contact name and information
• Have suggestion boxes in multiple locations (i.e. Church, gym, meeting rooms).
• Have a guest book for visitors to sign.
• Display photographs of current parish activities.
• Bulletin Boards – remove “old” information.
• Follow-up with people celebrating sacraments to see if there is anything they need.
• Welcoming information booths at parish events and all Masses.
• Visit other churches and see how they welcome people.
• After Prayers of the Faithful, ask newcomers and visitors to stand and thank them for coming.
• Add a “Family Spotlight” section to the bulletin (new and current families).
• If you see a family “struggling” at Mass with children, talk to them after Mass and reassure them that it’s OK. Remind them that their children are welcome at Mass and encourage them to keep bringing their children (“We’ve all been through it.”)
• Usher Training – look to make personal connections with parishioners. For example, help parishioners with their kids or help people to their cars.
• Have “Greeters” at Mass that are separate from the ushers. Greeters make personal connections with Mass attendees – more than just saying “welcome.”
• As Parish Ministry Leaders, we lead by example. If we sing, it will encourage others to sing. If we pray, others will be encouraged to pray.
• Get to know people around you at Mass – say hello and introduce yourself.
• Make additional handicap parking available.
• Designate a “Grandma and Grandpa” to watch kids during Mass.
• Weekly Mass Announcements – we encourage families to keep their kids in Church during Mass and not take them to the cry room.
• Welcoming has a direct impact on your parish stewardship efforts.

Tips to Improving Your Parish Hospitality & Welcoming (from the Office of Marriage and Family Life):

• Your website is often the place people visit first so try to make it welcoming and user-friendly. Mass times, Reconciliation times, bulletin, and other items most often accessed should be very easy to find. Avoid "churchy" language, and acronyms, because visitors may not understand them.
• Make sure your parish staff especially the secretary is kind, compassionate, courteous, and welcoming. The secretary is usually the first point of contact for new parishioners.
• Make sure signage inside and outside of the Church is easy to follow.
• Are your grounds and building exterior maintained well?
• Make sure your nursery, cry room are easy to find. Make sure the cry room is stocked well with supplies and is clean and safe for children.
• Have someone stationed at every door that people use to open the door for them and greet them with a smile and brief conversation.

• Have someone who is easy to find, stationed at a prominent place, to answer questions or provide resources.
• Make sure your restrooms are well marked, clean, and easy to find. They should be checked regularly especially during a busy weekend. Do you have baby changing stations?
• Suggest to your parishioners that they should allow handicapped or those with small children to sit closest to the end of the pew.
• Encourage parishioners to move to the middle of the pews because it encourages others to sit by them.
• Suggest to your parishioners that they be patient and encouraging to parents with small children.
• Ushers should hold doors, help finds seats, straighten up between Masses, help keep things safe, provide assistance to those with children and the disabled and hand out bulletins. People on the hospitality team should handle everything else. Consider having name tags. Offer brief trainings and reminders for your ushers and hospitality teams. You could also offer trainings on how to start conversations with new people, so they grow more comfortable with it.
• Treat every person attending Mass or any event as an honored guest.
• Pay attention to the details and try to exceed people’s expectations.
• Consider putting welcome cards in the pews.
• Consider putting worship aids in the pews for those that aren’t Catholic. The Breaking Bread or missals are difficult to follow for those that aren’t Catholic. This is a great resource for that: https://store.faithcatholic.com/
• Consider putting some kind of welcome to parents with small children in the pews.
• Make sure your registration includes an age range question, and a question regarding ministries that appeal to them.
• When someone registers in your parish, have someone call and welcome them personally and send out a welcome letter from the pastor. It is really nice to have the pastor offer to bless their home if the pastor is willing. If your registration form asks about what ministries people are attracted to, then have someone from those ministries contact them as well.
• Host a welcoming event for new parishioners other than Donut Sunday. For example, a pot luck brunch right after Mass. Make sure you have someone from various age groups available during the welcoming event.
• Make sure each new parishioner receives a picture directory of the parish and a ministry list.
• Pray for new parishioners and visitors.

More information on developing a “welcoming” environment.

“…it is to open ourselves, our hearts to the needs of others. Hospitality is not just shelter, but the quality of welcome behind it.” ~ Dorothy Day

Hospitality Checklist for a Parish

SUNDAYS

• Are there greeters at the entrances, welcoming people and perhaps giving them a worship aid?
• Is there a place set aside for people with special needs, e.g. wheelchairs, etc.?
• Are listening devices provided for the hearing impaired? Is the sound system adequate so that everyone can hear the readings, homily, and Eucharistic Prayer wherever they sit?
• Are people encouraged to greet one another before the liturgy begins?
• Do the homilies emphasize community, the Lord's welcome and forgiveness, and compassion?
• Is the liturgy sensitive to the various ethnic communities in the parish?
• Do the priests greet the people after Mass as long as people are around?
• Are there opportunities after Mass for people to gather for a time and greet one another? Are they encouraged to say hello to someone they don't know? Do priests and other staff members stay around and encounter people who seem to be alone or uneasy?
• Are there cards in the pews that newcomers and visitors can fill out and place in the collection basket? Are they assured of a follow-up contact?
• Is there an Inquiry Process for the RCIA that is quick and easy to begin?

SURROUNDINGS

• Is there clear signage as to where the parish is located, along with the other facilities of the parish?
• Are the grounds well kept? Is the landscaping attractive and well-tended?
• Is the night lighting adequate for safety around the building and in the parking lot?
• Is the vestibule of the Church welcoming, with up-to-date information, with no out-of-date fliers or left-over envelopes and fliers hanging on the board?
• Are the restrooms clean, well-stocked, and functioning properly? Is there a changing table in the restrooms? Are the restrooms handicapped accessible?

THE PARISH OFFICE/MEETING PLACES

• Is the office person/secretary welcoming, warmly greeting the person coming in?
• Are the poor who come to the office/rectory door treated with care and respect?
• Is parish information readily available that the office person can provide, such as a list of the staff, their positions, and direct phone numbers?
• What happens when a person asks to speak to a priest? If a priest is unavailable, does the office manager graciously take steps to set up a future appointment with a priest or offer other helpful options?
• Is a priest contactable for sick calls and hospital needs?

THE TELEPHONE

• Is the telephone answered by a live person, not an answering machine? When an answering machine is used, does it include messages in English and Spanish when the demographics of the parish require it? Do all employees check their messages regularly?
• Is information given for contacting a priest in emergencies after hours?

THE WEBSITE

• Is the parish website attractive and user-friendly? Are the Mass times easy to find? Does the parish use social communication media?
• Is it welcoming, easy to get around to find contacts and information one needs? Is there too much information? Is it accurate and kept up to date?

FOR PARISHIONERS

• Are parishioners encouraged to be welcoming, warm, open, and compassionate at Mass and at other occasions?
• Are parishioners encouraged to invite others – Catholic or not – to come with them to all types of parish events?
• Is there a follow-up visit to the homes of new parishioners by a member of a welcoming committee of the parish? Is printed parish information provided that includes the name and number of that visiting parishioner who can serve as a contact person with the parish?
• Is the Church open frequently so that parishioners and others may visit the Blessed Sacrament? Are these times known in the parish?

Welcoming the Lord

The topic of welcoming typically centers on what parishes can do to welcome visitors, new parishioners and current parishioners to the parish. This relates to our “parish” stewardship.

• What about our own personal stewardship?
• Do we think about how each of us can “welcome” Jesus into our own hearts, minds, and bodies? Each of us is a home for Jesus. Do we welcome Him home on a daily basis?
• Or, are we too busy with our own activities and distractions to take the time to welcome Jesus into our own lives?
• The first thing we should do each day is welcome the Lord into our hearts. We can’t give what we don’t have.
• If we don’t take time to welcome Jesus into our lives every day, how do we expect to welcome others into our parish community?
• Remember, try to stay “God-centered” and not “self-centered” throughout the day.