I can picture it now: walking into my home church, being greeted with a handshake and smile by the kindest welcome team the world has ever seen, grabbing a hot cup of coffee before being given my bulletin and directed to my seat. Ah, to live in pre-covid times again. But, lucky for you and I, there are solutions to accomplish a safe and inviting experience for your church guests in our current health climate. The goal is still to share the same feeling that a kind smile and handshake achieves while addressing that it is paramount that we conduct this in a safe manner. Below, you can find a few tips on how to welcome your guests without a handshake.
Welcome with Signs
It’s never too early to be hospitable, right? Before even entering the building, guests can be greeted. Having big banner signs, or the large feather flags on the main road is a great way to greet church members, guests, or even people that are just driving by. Additionally, yard and street signs that are posted around the parking lot are a hospitable way to welcome guests without having personal contact with them.
Once your guests are parked and walking in, hand held signs by volunteers is a great strategy to use in place of a handshake. We love seeing signs like these held by volunteers we know are smiling under those masks! Through a company called OutReach, you can customize your own signs, and give guests the warm welcome they deserve. Speaking of masks, since everyone is wearing one, giving volunteers a name tag with a picture of their bright, welcoming smile on it communicates an inviting message to guests that come in contact with your volunteer teams.
Keep Them Safe
After guests enter your building, it’s important to have hand sanitizer stations available. Whether they are stands or on tables, there are a lot of versatile options available. Some examples we love are by OutReach, and you can find them here. However, if you are a fan of the classic hand sanitizer bottles, we’ve got a nice table set-up suggestion for you! Boring table with some bottles on it and a sign? No thank you!! These table covers are the best to make a table more friendly for guests. There are a lot of great options, so whether they’re holding hand sanitizer, coffee, or it’s a sign-up table for an event, you can’t go wrong making the center more welcoming.
Our friends at OutReach have all of these resources that have been mentioned, and we love what they are creating! You can work with their designers and customize any design you want, or choose from their amazing pre-existing designs, or even upload your own. Whether you’re a first time customer, or are obsessed with their work like us at Church Communications, they will be there to serve you every step of the design process. Whether your idea is already made and mocked up, or just a rough draft, their team can assist you in making your dreams into a customized reality! Visit OutReach here to see everything they have to offer your church/organization.
