April - Introduce the Welcome Team

'Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.' Romans 15:7

This month introduce your welcome team to the rest of the parish. There are a number of ways you can do this: 

• during Mass, formally during a rite of commissioning, or informally, perhaps before the final blessing;
  
• in the parish bulletin
  
• on the parish website See how the Church at Junction 10 do this
  
• on the parish notice board
  
• as part of a parish handbook See St Swithun's Yately
  
• within a parish social event  

However you choose to introduce those who will be responsible for welcoming new and established parishioners, certain things are important: a face, a name, a contact point. Remember to ask for more volunteers and to offer parish support to those carrying out this vital ministry. 

The Ministry of Hospitality at Mass

Scripture References for April

Romans 12. 13     Acts 28. 30 & 31

What do Welcome Teams do? Ideas from around the world...

To make the introduction to our parish community personal and inviting, the Welcome Team contacts new parishioners to offer a home visit and information to help acquaint them with parish life at St. Patrick’s. Invitations to Coffee Shop and to parish social events or groups provide opportunities for newcomers to meet other parishioners, helping them to feel more at home in our faith community

http://stpaturbana.stpaturbana.org/committees/

Our Welcomers are worth their weight in gold. They stand at the back of Church and like a stage manager in a theatre, see that everything runs smoothly whilst discreetly staying in the background..  They are founts of knowledge - if they don't know the answer, they know someone who does. They can usually point you in the direction of someone involved in the group you are interested in joining.  They are useful people to get to know!

http://users.churchserve.com/uk/theassumption/ParishGroups/PGWelcomers.htm

The welcome ministry is a group of parishioners who host a Welcome Breakfast for New Parishioners twice a year. We have no more than two meetings a year to plan the breakfast. In addition to attending the breakfast, preparations include sending out invitations, making phone calls to follow-up on the invitations, and purchasing food   www.saint-peter.org/welcome_ministry.htm