My journey into ministry was not planned at all. In fact, I initially shied away from serving because it meant interacting with hundreds of people—and as an introvert, I never imagined myself in a “congregation-facing” ministry. But as God would have it, one of the youth leaders insisted that my twin and I serve. He even wrote down our names and allocated us to departments. And the rest, as they say, is history. It’s been 3 years and I couldn’t be happier – the Lord did indeed order my steps.
I started out serving in the youth church in October 2022 and come youth month which was in April 2023, we started serving in the main church. To date, I fall short of words that would describe how kind, welcoming and passionate the people we met were. Even when we made mistakes, we were met with assurance rather than criticism and I hope to be that for people who join the ministry as well.
If you’ve ever attended a CITAM assembly, you’ve probably encountered the Welcoming Ministry. They are the men and women donning blue blazers, white shirts, and black skirts (for the ladies) or black trousers (for the men). Though they are often the first faces you meet on a Sunday morning, few people truly know what they do.
What exactly does the Welcoming Ministry do?
As the name suggests, we welcome people into the sanctuary. But our role goes beyond just greeting:
- Hosting First-Time Visitors – We receive them at the Visitors’ Parlour, tell them more about the church, and also get to know them.
- Counting Congregants – We take attendance across Sunday School, Teens, and the Main Sanctuary for church records.
- Supporting Ushers – We work hand-in-hand with the ushers to provide security, assist in offering collection, arrange and clean the sanctuary, and generally ensure everything runs smoothly.
- Building Fellowship – Beyond Sunday service, we learn from each other, visit one another, and foster genuine Christian community.
What does a typical Sunday look like?
Welcomers and ushers work closely together—you could think of them as the “keepers of the sanctuary.” Both teams are expected at church by 7:20 a.m. to prepare the premises before prayers begin at 7:30 a.m.
After the joint prayers, the welcome team holds a short briefing where roles and posts are assigned for both services. During the service, welcomers hand out pamphlets to first-time visitors. These pamphlets serve two purposes: they provide the church’s contact details and also allow the church to collect visitors’ information.
Towards the end of each service, the team heads to the Visitors’ Parlour to prepare snacks and set up the space for fellowship. One member stays by the main door to direct visitors to the parlour. Inside, a team member introduces the Welcoming Ministry, then each guest is invited to introduce themselves and share a little about their background. Guests are served, fellowship takes place, and prayer is offered before refreshments.
At the same time, another member updates the congregation records, which are then forwarded to the church administrator and eventually to the main assembly. After the guests leave, the team tidies up, ready to repeat the process for the second service.
Challenges
One of the biggest challenges has been getting more youth to sign up and serve in the welcoming ministry and maybe it is because not much is known about the department and what they do despite having a strong presence in church. Maybe the church could hold its version of “ministry fair” – like the youth church – where the youth can get acquainted with serving in the main church.
Like any ministry, Welcoming has its fair share of challenges. Big Sundays—such as the first Sunday of the month, Easter service, DVBS, and Christmas Cantata—can be overwhelming, with the entire congregation gathered in one place. Tempers sometimes flare, and patience is tested. Thankfully, teamwork carries us through, as all hands are always on deck. On the flip side, we have more good days and as cliché as this would sound, a day spent serving is a good day. David says it best in Psalm 84:10 that a day in God’s house, even as a doorkeeper is better than a thousand elsewhere!
Inspiration for Serving
My inspiration for serving has always been that Jesus, the Son of God, also served. He came down, interacted with sinners, washed His disciples’ feet, healed the sick, raised the dead back to life and endured the cross. The Bible says that the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many in Mark 10:45. At the moment, I am fully content serving in the welcoming ministry. Might that change in the future? I don’t know – Maybe but I am more inclined to grow in that ministry.
Looking back, I see how that one small step of faith changed my life. From a timid girl unsure of her place, I have grown into someone who finds joy in serving others in God’s house. The best part is, there’s always room for more and more people to join and plug into ministry.
My parting shot would be to echo words from the deputy Head usher who welcomed us into ministry with open arms – Ecclesiastes 11:1 – “Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days, you shall find it.”