INTRODUCTION AND TEAM OBJECTIVE
The First Timers’ Welcome Team of Our Saviours’ Church TBS (often called the Welcome Team) is a service arm of the Church charged primarily with the responsibility of engaging with and welcoming first timers to the church. Our function is not limited to just welcoming congregants worshipping in the church for the first time, but also worshippers who have not worshipped in the sanctuary in a long time. We also provide some refreshment and spiritual articles such as Bibles, Daily devotionals, and other Christian materials to the first timers which will aid their continued spiritual growth in God’s kingdom.
We are also mandated to inquire if the first timers have a relationship with Jesus Christ. If not, we lead them to Christ and follow up with them to ensure their continued development as Christians. We also have the mandate to follow-up with first timers after their first service to pray with them; encourage them and inquire whether they have any prayer requests that they want to commit to God.
The Ministry of the Welcome Team seeks to ensure that all first-time worshippers feel that they have a place of sanctuary in the church and through this, that they can be welcomed wholeheartedly into the fellowship of Christ in our church, giving thanks to God for the love He has poured out on them. There is a saying that “you cannot create a first impression twice”, and therefore, we make the best efforts to give a befitting and impressionable welcome to our first-time worshippers.
MEMBERSHIP STRUCTURE AND MEETINGS
Membership of the Welcome Team is open to any willing, registered and financially up-to-date member (male or female), baptized and confirmed (communicant) of the Church who is above 18 years and does not belong to any secret cult or secret society.
We currently have about 10 members (including our “Distant Members” – those outside the country). The leadership team is led by the Honourable Justice Dayo Oyebanji and Mrs. Anu Koleowo.
Our meeting time is usually immediately after the 9 a.m. church service every Sunday, which also doubles as the time/period that we welcome and attend to the first timers. We also hold bi-monthly prayer meetings to pray for our first timers and lift their specific prayer requests to God as well as schedule and hold strategy meetings once every quarter to deliberate on our processes and activities to improve the Welcome team’s effectiveness.
OUR TEAM ACTIVITIES FOR THE PERIOD 2023
The peculiar activities of the Welcome Team during the period under review include the following-
1. Sunday Services
During the year under review, the Welcome Team ministered at every Sunday service with at least 1 member designated as the supervisor to anchor our ministration for both the 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. Sunday morning services respectively. Under the supervision of the designated member for each service, we were able to ensure our participation and ministration at all Sunday services in the church for the year 2023.
2. Special Event – First Timers’ Service
We also organized a very successful annual First Timers’ Welcome service on Sunday, 15th May 2023 by 5 p.m. wherein we invited all our first timers for the last 3 years to a church service to appreciate them for attending our service sometimes in the considered period. It is important to state that even though the First Timers’ service is usually scheduled as an annual event of our Ministry, we had not held any such service since the covid period of 2020, so the 2023 service was a culmination of all first timers for the period between 2020 and 2022.
APPRECIATION
We thank all members of the congregation who continue to co-operate and show understanding in the discharge of our duties especially in the west side alley of the church where we welcome our first timers. We are hoping and trusting God and the church leadership to assist us in identifying and setting up a more conducive environment to welcome our first timers.
We appreciate the Vicar, Chaplain, the entire clergy and the members of the congregation for their understanding and support as we continue to perform the service placed in the hands of the Welcome Team of Our Saviours’ Church TBS.
CONCLUSION
Serving God means making him real in the things we do; and in the different ways we conduct ourselves. While it is true that we are saved by faith and not by works so that no one can boast, as what Apostle Paul says, true faith cannot help but translate itself into good action. This speaks directly to why the members of the Welcome team do what we do, which is selfless service in the house of God.
Everyone who is interested in joining this wonderful team of people should reach out to any of our leaders (Justice Dayo Oyebanji and Mrs. Anu Koleowo) and/or any team member at the west end alley of the church after the 9 a.m. service. We are certain that God will reward your labour of love in his vineyard in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thank you.
Mr. Feranmi Kehinde Mrs. Anu Koleowo