“How much do I have to pay to attend church?”
This was a genuine question asked of a friend, by a woman interested in attending their church. She had no experience of church, and thought that going to church cost money – much like a night out at Hoyts, or watching the Rabbitohs and Dragons out the football stadium.
And who can blame her for not knowing – she’s never been before!
I was speaking with a friend this morning who wanted to come and check out church – he’s never been inside before, and is curious. His question: “where’s the front door?”
It’s obvious to me and anyone who is a regular, but again – a very reasonable question to ask if you’ve never been before.
What other questions do people have who are unfamiliar with church? Perhaps questions like:
- Am I welcome at church? Do I have to be a Christian to attend?
- Will I be asked to say something?
- How long does church go for?
- What happens at church?
What questions would you add to this list?
In an increasingly unchurched society, we need to make the answers to these questions clear to those people who are considering coming to church. We need to work hard to provide answers to the questions that we don’t even think are questions because they are so obvious to us.
If you don’t know, it’s not obvious.
