John 4:34-35 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

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I love the fall season! There is a slight cool brisk in the air, a fresh start to a new school year, and there is a familiar routine and schedule that is back in place that was lacking in the summer.
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Fall is a time of great excitement at our church. We have our Singles Retreat, Couples Retreat, Adult Bible Class activities, Tuesday night soul winning and training classes, our Missions Revival, Friend Day, and our church and Sunday school Fall Program. Needless to say, it is a busy time!
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During this time, our church sees many new guests and returning guests attend our services and activities. Some are wayward Christians while others are unsaved. As a church we have an awesome opportunity to welcome our guests with open arms and show them the love of Christ and an accepting and caring church family.
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What can we do to welcome our new and returning guests to church? How can we show the love of Christ? How can we make their visit with us enjoyable, and yes even life altering? How can we make an impact on them for the cause of Christ? What can we do to encourage our guests to return?
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Here are a couple ways as members of Pacific Baptist to make our guest feel welcomed:
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Give our Guests the Best Parking. During this time make it a mission to park in one of the offsite places. Whether it is at Blue Line or at the frontage road on Wardlow, make it a practice to park in those areas during this time.
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Get to your place of ministry early. Don’t lag or come to your place of ministry right on time or late. You help set the spirit of your ministry. Get to your area of ministry with a smile and some zeal that will be contagious to our people and our guests. Be well rested the night before and get to church renewed and be bursting with a joyful spirit.  
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Smile and Say Hi! There is nothing like a warm smile and a friendly hello after a rough week at work. Disney has “coined” itself, “The Happiest Place on Earth!” Let that be true of our church when people step foot on our property. Don’t pass people, especially new people, without a warm smile and a friendly “Hello!”
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Put our Guests First. The natural thing to do when we come to church is to talk and fellowship with the people we have an affinity with. We have to purposely get out of our comfort zone and include new people to our group. Determine that you will look for a new person to talk to before and after church, before you fellowship with your “regular” group.
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Go the Extra Mile. New people have questions. They might want to know where the location of a restroom, a nursery, a specific Bible class, or maybe a place to get some refreshments is. There are three types of helpers. First there is what I call a “Walmart” worker. They see you, they try not to make eye contact with you, and then you get their attention you to find out that their answer is, “sorry I don’t work in this department.” The second kind of helper is one who points to the direction of what you need. “The item you are looking for is in this area.” This type of helper points you to the general area but still makes “work” for what you are looking for. Lastly, there is the helper that smiles, greets you, pays attention to your questions, and then walks with you to the area you must go and looks with you for the product you are seeking. These are the “extra mile workers!” As church members, let us help our guests by going the extra mile to help them locate what they are looking for. Don’t just walk by a guest or point them to the right direction. Take time to escort them to the right area.
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These might not be “earth shattering tips,” but these small tips will help us make our guests feel welcomed as they visit our church.