A First Time Visitor

When was the last time you were new to a church?

Before tonight, it was 4 years ago, but that doesn't really count because the church was small and there wasn't much to learn. And before that it was college. But that doesn't really count either because the churches there expected the college kids and were prepared for them. I'm talking about walking in as a genuine visitor. Never been there before. No one is there to meet you or show you around. You're just a face nobody recognizes.

That was us tonight. We were the visitors. And it was tough. Michael has a new job at a new church and he'll be holding practice on Wednesday nights. Since they have a family dinner time and a short program, we decided to make Wednesday evenings a family church night. Starting tonight. (His first service will be this coming Sunday.)

Let me just say that walking into a medium to large church as a new person and trying to navigate all their customs is not easy. Which room do we go to? Can we pay with a check or do we need to bring cash? (We brought cash just in case.) When we walked into the fellowship hall, a whole new set of questions arose. Does it matter where we sit? Is there an opening prayer? Do we wait for someone to say something? Where exactly do we go to get our food? Where can I find a highchair? Will anyone talk to us? (They did.) What do we do with our dishes when we're done? Where is the program held? Where do my kids go?

We obviously survived the evening. A few well placed signs or a hostess could've made us a lot more comfortable, but we did manage the evening okay. Brenna, on the other hand, didn't. She was so nervous about the new church and she was trying so hard that she just didn't have anything left to handle her emotions. She cried three different times. Over things that normally wouldn't have bothered her one bit. She was over-enthusiastic during the program and drew attention to herself by saying a string of nonsense words rather loudly. The bottom line is she was nervous. Some of her behavior was quite uncharacteristic, but she still says she had fun. Because of the way things were done tonight, she didn't really have a chance to meet any other kids her age. I'm hoping that will change on Sunday. We did take a peek in her Sunday School room so she'll know where to go.

It looks like we have a lot to learn as new Presbyterians. There are all kinds of new words I've been seeing in the emails from the pastor that I don't know. There are particular names for parts of the service. There are certain types of songs and certain types of prayers and they go in particular places during the service. People have titles that I've never heard of. As we walked through the building tonight, I saw rooms with names that I don't understand. (Including a 'parlor' outside of the sanctuary?) Even the women's ministry has different words. I think they're called 'Circles'. I think by the time I learn it all I should be able to publish a Newcomers Guide to the Presbyterian Church. : )

By the way, I'm working a post that will explain how we got to this new church. It's an all-summer-long story, so it's taking me a while to put it all together. I'm sure I'll post it soon, though.