Becoming a Welcoming Church, George W. Sarris
Becoming a Welcoming Church, George W. Sarris
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Becoming a Welcoming Church

Author: George W. Sarris, Thom S. Rainer

Narrator: TBD

Unabridged: 2 hr 13 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/01/2018


Synopsis

Most church members don't see their churches clearly. In almost all of Thom S. Rainer's consultations, church members perceive their church to be friendly. But as he surveyed guests, he found that the guests typically saw church members as unfriendly. The perception chasm existed because the members were indeed friendly . . . to one another. The guests felt like they crashed a private party. Bestselling author Thom Rainer (I Am a Church Member, Autopsy of a Deceased Church) has a game plan for churches to become more hospitable. In a format that is suitable for church members to read individually or study together, Rainer guides readers toward a practical framework for making a difference for those who visit their church. Churches may use Becoming a Welcoming Church to assess and audit where they are on a spectrum between welcoming and wanting. Additionally, churches can use the companion book We Want You Here to send guests home with a compelling vision for what pastors want every guest to know when they visit.

About George W. Sarris

George W. Sarris is an actor, author, narrator, and storyteller. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Speech from Northwestern University and a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Sarris has been a principal spokesman in commercials, industrial films, and at trade shows for companies such as AT&T, American Express, BMW, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and Puffs Tissues. He has developed a unique one-man show and audio/video series entitled The World's Greatest Stories.

Sarris is also the author of Heaven's Doors . . . Wider Than You Ever Believed! The book was awarded the Silver Medal in Theology in the 2018 Illumination Awards for exemplary Christian literature.

Sarris is the narrator for the 2011 revision of The Holy Bible, New International Version by Zondervan Publishing House. He has narrated audiobooks on a wide range of topics and has consistently received high reviews for his work.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Daniel

Thom Rainer's books are always helpful and practical, and this one is no exception. This book is a thought-provoking read for any pastor or church member who wonders if his church is a welcoming place for visitors. It is full of examples of things that we overlook in our facilities or services that......more

Goodreads review by Jordan

Stirring albeit redundant, Becoming a Welcoming Church clearly and concisely conveys the act of intentionally engaging with church guests, although it occasionally struggles to present more than obvious problems and solutions.......more

Many churches are unwelcoming. It’s a myth to perceive that all churches are friendly when indeed they are not. By unwelcoming, I don’t mean that a church keeps their doors shut, or that people are mean and unfriendly. The members of a church may be friendly—but to each other, not to outsiders. There......more

Goodreads review by Jimmy

Thom Rainer has become the guru of all things local church. This book, another of the small, attractive, hardback volumes published by B&H Publishing that he has turned out over the last few years, teaches us how to become a welcoming church. It’s not so much a book of suggestions as one of necessit......more