Recently I have gone back to uni part time to do further theology study.
Last week I was sat with a group of lecturers and PhD students who were casually chatting away about their latest research, a theologian they knew, his key beliefs, and although it was all very interesting, I felt a little uncomfortable. I genuinely had Justin Bieber ‘what do you mean?’, going around in my head at a lot of what they said, whilst I sat there nodding and smiling.
It’s not my usual scene, they’re not my usual friends, talking about the usual stuff. I really had to concentrate to keep up with what they were saying and a lot of their language was unfamiliar.
It made me think, is this what my friends feel like when they step into church? Not their usual scene, not their usual friends talking about the same usual stuff. Feeling a little uncomfortable and trying hard to keep up with the unfamiliar ‘Christian Lingo’ whilst nodding and smiling.
What does it mean for us, as Christians to create an environment where people feel safe, accepted and not uncomfortable?
Jesus teaches us to ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. I may not have all the answers to how we can help our friends feel relaxed, but when we see new people at our student night, in church, in a social or event, let’s think about times where we may have felt uncomfortable.
Is it as simple as a friendly face, a conversation they can join in on and no inside jokes? Maybe?!
Next time you invite a mate to church, or have a social with your uni mates and church mates, remember a time where you felt a little uncomfortable. Let’s be proactive in thinking through the atmosphere around us and what we can do to help our mates feel at home.
Top tips for hosting an event and creating a warm environment:
- Welcome team: friendly faces at the door to greet
- Chatting team: people whose job it is to spend the event chatting and hosting conversation, introducing new people to other friends.
- Music
- A drink in your hand
- Lighting
- Non-intrusive or exposing games / questions.
