When you meet someone for the first time, you want to make a great first impression. You’ll choose your words carefully, find some common ground, and be sure to make them feel welcome.
Showing that same kind of care when planning welcomes for churches, whether it’s through a welcome speech or a written church bulletin greeting, is a great way to help first-time visitors feel comfortable in an unfamiliar setting.
It can also incorporate welcoming back with open arms long time attenders and occasional visitors, so that they feel at home as well. And it can make sure that details like filling out welcome cards or what’s happening in the service get communicated.
Whether you’re a pastor, elder, part of a welcome team, or another volunteer, it’s always important to be ready to give a warm reception. Here are 18 ideas for welcomes for churches.
Verbal Welcomes for Churches
Have you been asked to open the service with a welcoming speech? These example speeches can give you some ideas on how to get started in demonstrating that you are a welcoming church.
If you’ve been asked to pray, these Prayers Before Sermon can also help you plan what to say.
You’ll want to change the terminology to reflect your church’s culture. For example, one church might call a card with name, address, phone number, etc., a contact card; while others might call them a visitor card, guest card, connection cards, or welcome cards. Customize to match your situation.
Traditional Welcome
A traditional welcome usually contains a few facts and introduces the next part of the service. Here is a traditional welcome by a church pastor or another member of the staff.
“Good morning! I’m Pastor Mark, the youth pastor here at SAMPLE church. We are so happy to see you here today! Please take a moment to fill out a church connect card if you’re visiting here for the first time, or you would like to share a prayer request with us.
Let’s prepare our hearts for worship as the worship team comes to the stage.”
Personal Introduction
Have you ever had to bluff your way through a group conversation where you didn’t really know who everyone was? That can be how a new visitor feels when trying to follow along with a church service, especially if they’ve never attended church before.
This example speech would be given by a church leader, for example a deacon, and orients people to who they are going to see. This is especially helpful if your bulletin does not include an order of service, or if you don’t hand out bulletins.
“Hi there! I’m Joe, one of the church leaders here at SAMPLE Church. We want to welcome you to our church and hope you feel at home here! We’ll be starting worship soon with our worship team, and later on Pastor Bob is going to be talking about how you can find hope.
If you have any questions about SAMPLE Church, please check in with me later. Let’s get our service started!”
This could immediately be followed by the worship music, or you could substitute “Let’s get our service started!” for “Let’s pray,” and add a prayer.
Scripture-Based Welcome
If you would like to incorporate Bible verses into your welcome to new visitors and returning attendees, consider this format. It’s best to keep it short unless you’ve been asked to open the Sunday service with a Bible reading.
“Psalm 133:1 in the New International Version translation tells us ‘How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!’ We are so happy to get to come together as a church congregation to worship the Lord.
Whether it’s your first time here, or you grew up here, we are glad to spend this time together with you! May God bless our gathering this morning.”
Worship Leader Welcome
Does your church start its service with music, with only a little bit of talking beforehand? This short welcome by the worship leader or a member of the worship team can be an alternative to a more formal or traditional welcome.
Besides giving a welcome, it incorporates a short instruction about standing so that people who have never been before know what they are supposed to be doing. If you have a small but important direction to give, be sure to include it.
“Welcome to SAMPLE Church! We’re so glad you’re here today. We’re starting off with a few songs to get our hearts ready for worship and for God’s Word. You can stand if you are able or stay seated. Let’s worship the Lord together!”
Storytelling Welcome
For some first-time guests, church can feel like an intimidating place. Show that the people at your church are relatable by opening with a glimpse into your morning or your Christian walk.
It can be difficult to achieve the right balance between “telling a relatable story” and “oversharing,” so if you’re not sure about your welcome speech, check it with another church leader.
“I am so glad to be here with the body of Christ today. This week has been a struggle, nothing earth-shattering but it’s been a hard one.
Maybe this week has been hard for you, too. Let’s take this time to come together before the Lord today and get our hearts right before Him.
If you have any questions about what that means, check with me or one of the other church leaders over at LOCATION after the service.”
Youth Welcome
Does your church have a Youth Sunday or a Children’s Sunday where they help plan and participate in the worship service? This welcome will give you a place to start as you help them plan what they are going to say to welcome the church.
It’s best to put a lot of time into planning and practicing for these types of services. Many adults would be caught off guard if you said “Go up there and open the church service right now.” Why would we expect younger people to be ready to do this without preparation?
This is usually done by teenagers or pre-teens, but if there are small children, it would be best to have a children’s ministry volunteer accompany them to hold the microphone and offer encouragement.
Pray about which younger person will be ready for this responsibility. Since this is often the first item in the order of service, a good welcome can set the right tone for the rest of the youth-planned service.
“Hi! My name is Kim, and I’m part of the youth group here at SAMPLE church. On behalf of the youth group, I want to welcome you to church today! We are excited to bring Youth Sunday to you this morning.
Please fill out a connection card if you have a prayer request or if you are visiting for the first time today.
Thank you for supporting our youth group at SAMPLE church. We pray that today will be a blessing to you.”
Greeters’ Welcome
Greeters have the special privilege of often being the first person a new visitor meets. A church greeter should always be ready with a warm welcome. Here are a few friendly phrases that church greeters can extend to the people they meet.
“So happy to see you today!”
“Glad you’re here!”
“Welcome to CHURCH NAME!”
When greeters are certain that someone is new, then they could use these welcomes:
“So good to meet you! If you have any questions about anything, I’m here to help!”
“Hi, I’m NAME, one of the members of the welcome team here. What’s your name? Would you like me to introduce you to a few friendly faces?”
“So glad you’re here for the service! I hope you can make it to the EVENT afterwards. There will be more details in the church service.”
Welcome from the Parking Lot
Not every welcome needs a full speech. Sometimes a few words will do!
If your church needs to have parking lot volunteers to help handle traffic and parking, then your visitors and regular attenders are first interacting with your parking lot team members.
While safety and timeliness are important issues that need to be addressed, parking lot volunteers should also be reminded that they are also part of the welcome team.
A parking team member being kind when giving directions, and offering a smile, goes a long way. Remember that not everyone knows the routine.
Parking lot volunteers can also look for people who don’t seem sure of where they are going to greet them and find out if they need directions.
Parking team leaders should assess the needs of your parking lot ministry and advise the volunteers based on that important information.
Written Bulletin Greetings
What purpose does your bulletin serve for your church? Many are focused on providing information, like sermon notes, small group and Bible study information, and maybe an order of service.
But it should also be a place where a new visitor can find information that makes them feel welcome. It can also include details that might seem obvious to church members, but could confuse church visitors.
Some of that information could include: church contact information (phone number and email address especially!), silencing cell phones, the church’s mission or vision statement, or Sunday School and small group information.
If you have a friend or family member visit, if it seems appropriate, get their feedback on what they don’t understand, and consider incorporating those suggestions. See if they think the church has clear signage or they understand the church’s website, or if the church welcome gifts seem helpful.
These greetings for the bulletin can help clear up some of these issues. Many of these greetings can also be incorporated into your church welcome speeches.
General Welcome Message
This is an example of a short paragraph that includes words of welcome as well as needed information. It assumes that you have a special gift for new visitors, like a gift card or mug, that you offer with your welcome packets.
“First time guests, we welcome you to SAMPLE Church’s worship service today! We’re glad you are here. When the offering plate passes by you later, don’t feel obligated to give. New families, if you have children under 12, they can stay with you, or try out our children’s ministry upstairs – they are having a fun and meaningful time learning more about the Bible!
If you have any questions, please check in with our welcome center located in the foyer. They’ll also have a free gift for you when you turn in your connection card and tell them you’re a first time visitor. We hope you will be blessed today!”
Invitation to Fellowship
Many of these welcomes and greetings focus on welcoming new guests, but it’s also encouraging to make church family feel at home as well. This next welcome highlights the opportunities to get to know each other better at a fellowship event following the service, like a potluck.
“Our special potluck Sunday is here! We look forward to catching up with each other and getting to know those newer to our church community.
If you didn’t happen to bring anything to the potluck, that’s OK! There’s plenty of food to go around, and there’s no cost to attend. We hope to see you there!”
Upcoming Events Highlight
Welcoming words can also include upcoming events. This can help people know that they are invited to attend your special event, whether this is their first or their thousandth Sunday.
“Our church anniversary celebration is coming up next Sunday! We are looking forward to celebrating this with you.
Whether you just started attending or grew up in the church nursery, we look forward to celebrating with you. Be sure to RSVP through the app or on your welcome card today!”
Gratitude for Attendance
For various reasons, it can be difficult for someone to get to church. Maybe it is a transportation issue, perhaps they are battling grief or another hard time in their lives, or they might have difficulties with social situations. They could also be in a spiritual battle, and convinced that they aren’t good enough to go to church.
A simple appreciation of their presence is a great way to encourage those who struggle to get to church. Consider this example.
“Thank you for coming to church today! We know it can take a lot to show up on Sunday morning, and we are happy to see you here. We look forward to worshiping with you today!”
Community Engagement Call
It’s wonderful to be part of a church family, and we should always look to be welcoming new people into church! This welcome emphasizes connecting with the people outside the church on their own and with church organized events.
“Welcome to the house of the Lord today! We’re excited to see many a familiar face, as well as many new faces. We love to welcome new people to our church family!
Be part of letting people know about Jesus by using our invitation cards at the welcome table in the lobby, or participating in our outreach booth at the upcoming fair.”
Specialized Welcomes for Churches
There are special occasions that might require a specialized welcome. One of these welcomes for churches might be just right for your next church event!
Seasonal Welcome
Holidays and special celebrations may find you welcoming new or returning people to your church family, especially Christmas and Easter. Visiting a new church or returning after a long absence can be daunting for some.
Be sure to make them feel welcome. Some might be tempted to poke fun at those who only show up for holidays. Do not do this under any circumstances! Sporadic attenders may already feel out of place, and this kind of joke could discourage them from ever returning again.
Instead, carefully choose your words. This is an example of a few quick words of welcome you could say.
“We are excited to be celebrating this special day with you! We look forward to worshiping and glorifying Jesus Christ together today. May you be blessed by today’s service, and may your worship bless our Savior.”
If you need specific welcomes for holidays, check out our Christmas and Easter welcomes for churches.
New Member Welcome
Has your church recently welcomed new members? A new member welcome might be appropriate.
For some churches, this would be a welcome immediately after the prospective church member is voted in at a business meeting, while other churches have different processes. This example is for a welcome after a business meeting.
“We are thrilled to extend the ‘right hand of fellowship,’ as they would say ‘back in the day,’ to our newest members. Please be sure to come say hello to our newest members, and introduce yourself if you haven’t met yet. We are glad you are officially part of our church family!”
Visitors’ Welcome
While many of the welcomes for churches in this article are appropriate for new visitors, this example is tailored just to welcome visitors. The details walk them through what the next steps of the service will be.
“Good morning, church! I’m Pastor Ron, the senior pastor here at SAMPLE church. We are so happy to have you here today!
Before we begin, I would like to take a moment to welcome our visitors. If you are new here, please take a moment to fill out a church welcome card. You can find one in the seat back in front of you. The welcome card is a great way for us to get to know you better and connect you with resources that can help you grow in your faith.
I would also like to invite you to share a prayer request with us. If you have a specific need that you would like us to pray for, please write it on the back of your welcome card. Our prayer team will be praying for you this week.
Next up, we’ll have our time of worship through song, then I’ll be giving a message about the love of Christ. If you have any questions, please check in with anyone in the lobby after the service. We’d love to connect with you!”
Multi-language Welcome
Does your church have services in other languages? Or do you partner with another church that has services in another language? Consider incorporating this into your welcome.
Any welcome that includes multiple languages should be reviewed by a native or fluent speaker of both languages. It should also be checked for tone to make sure that it will be received well in one’s own language.
This sample speech uses the example of a church service in English that also offers a service in Spanish.
“Welcome to church! Bienvendios a la iglesia! Here at SAMPLE church, we have services in both English and Spanish. We want you to be able to worship in the language of your heart. We have an English-speaking service at 10:00 AM and a Spanish-speaking service at 1:00 PM.
We pray that one of these services will bless you. Please invite your friends to worship with us in whichever language they feel comfortable with.”
Virtual Welcome
Online services have been available for some time, but have increased in popularity and acceptance over recent years. Many church services that happen in person are also being broadcast online, yet they don’t acknowledge the online audience.
Foster connection and fellowship with the people joining you online by incorporating them into your welcome. This sample welcome is designed for a church that is meeting both in person and online.
“We want to welcome you to SAMPLE Church! Whether you’re here in person with us, or online, we are glad to be worshiping with you today.
If you’re online, please take a moment to leave a comment or click the link to fill out our connection card (or contact card) so we know you stopped by, and how we can pray for you this week. Those in person at church can scan the QR code or fill out the welcome card in front of you.
Wherever you are worshiping from today, we all do this for the glory of God! Please prepare your heart for worship today by joining me in prayer.”
Hopefully one of these welcomes for churches will work for you. As you plan what you are going to say, be praying for the Holy Spirit to lead you.
Consider how your words of welcome might come across to someone who is visiting church for the first time. Edit out any confusing terms or “church-speak” that might make a first-time guest feel excluded when you are planning your church speeches. Set a tone of welcoming people with open hearts.
Our words can be so important in conveying a very warm welcome to every single person in the house of God. Choosing these words carefully can help us communicate the love of God to others.
Don’t leave details like your welcome speech for church until the last minute. Welcome speeches can play an important role in setting an inviting atmosphere for these very special guests. These examples can be a great tool to shape the perfect welcome for your church today!
If you liked reading these Welcomes for Churches, you may also want to check out our Welcome Cards for Churches, our Easter Welcome Speeches or our Christmas Welcome Speeches.