In my role as the "credential guy" I have to constantly remember we are greeters and not just gatekeepers into the Fellowship. Thanks to Don Detrick, NW Ministry Network S/T for his presentation a few years ago bringing this to our attention. In your role, are you a greeter or a gatekeeper?
- Walmart has greeters / the TSA has gatekeepers
- Greeters welcome / Gatekeepers scrutinize
- Greeters open doors / Gatekeepers shut doors
- Greeters let people in / Gatekeepers keep people out
- Greeters focus on relationship / Gatekeepers focus on rules
- Greeters serve people / Gatekeepers maintain systems
- Greeters look for someone to bless / Gatekeepers look for someone to blame
Greeters have a desire to motivate people through encouragement and grace. The heart of a gatekeeper can sometimes sour into manipulating through intimidation and guilt.
Both roles, when approached in a healthy manner, have their place and the gate has to be kept to keep wolves out, but whenever possible, we should strive to be greeters rather than gatekeepers. Some churches and some leaders act as though we have to protect the Kingdom of God (or perhaps the "Fellowship") from all the riff-raff while we should be welcoming those with a dream and a desire for spiritual community even when they are perhaps different in their approach.
We have to keep an eye on the gate, I just hope to look for every reason to act more like a greeter than a gatekeeper.
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