"You are the first impression of our church," said a pastor of Tiancheng Church to female members of the reception team. "If you are doing well, the church is doing well."
Tiancheng Church, located in a tourist city in southwest China, welcomes Christians from across the country and curious non-believers every year. During the off-season, there are three to four new visitors at each of the seven-weekend services, and in the peak season, "we once welcomed over twenty tourists at a single service."
A Christian woman surnamed Yang started serving in the reception ministry in her fourth year as a believer. She serves as a receptionist at one service each on Saturdays and Sundays. Thirty minutes before the service begins, she puts on her white hospitality uniform. After praying with a group of eleven or twelve other women, she moves to different corners of the main building. In the approximately 500-seat church, they stand at the church gate, the main building entrance, in the front, middle, back, and on both sides, greeting each one with "Jesus loves you." They help elderly believers to their seats, inform visitors about the location of the tea room and restrooms, and quietly remind attendees not to chat, to silence their phones, and to refrain from crossing their legs.
"Some people are difficult to deal with and don’t understand instructions. You can’t tell by looking whether someone is a believer or not," said Yang, who has served in the team for over a decade and encountered many challenging situations. Some people come wearing short skirts, tank tops, or flip-flops, and she has to explain that such attire is not appropriate for church. When faced with elderly Christian women who occupy seats, she has to gently persuade them to make room.
A smile is their secret weapon for resolving conflicts, and this is a shared understanding within the reception ministry. "No matter what happens at home, you must smile when serving as a greeter because reception service is important." Acknowledging the complexity of the people received at the church, the senior pastor once remarked, "Thank you to the reception staff for enduring much humiliation."
Yang does not feel that she has made many sacrifices for God. In her view, "We keep the church in good order so that pastors can focus on preaching." She came to the church when she had nowhere else to go due to illness, and since serving in the ministry, she has had no further health issues. Although her husband is not a believer, her daughter has accepted Christ, and her marriage and family life are going well. She shares her testimony with younger female believers: "If we take care of God's house, God will take care of our families."
Pastor Wang, who works in church administration, affirmed their service, "On Sunday mornings, as long as those female staff members stand there, our pastors can relax, knowing there won’t be any problems." Although there has been some loss of members in recent years, the number of weekend worshipers still exceeds 3,000. In addition to leading regular services, weddings, and funerals, the pastors also need to manage temporary outreach activities in surrounding areas. Thanks to the reception team maintaining order, only one pastor is needed at the main building to make decisions.
Tiancheng Church places great emphasis on reception ministry and has undergone significant reforms. The focus is on selecting faithful and discerning women, with a gradual shift toward younger members.
In addition to ethical concerns, the church worries about whether older members can stand for two hours inside the church during the service. Previously, anyone who signed up could join the ministry. But believers hesitated to say “hello” loudly at the church gate to an aged female greeter who took the initiative to join, fearing that she would have another heart attack.
The church had to dismiss all the old team members and rebuild the team, setting a strict age limit of 60. Most members are around 50, and they handle issues more calmly now. "In the past, they would spread complaints everywhere if there was a problem. Now, if there is an issue, they address it first. If they can’t resolve it, they calm the situation and then seek help from a pastor," said Pastor Wang. The church conducts regular training sessions, and experienced members of the team voluntarily mentor newer members. "With them here, we are at ease," said a pastor. Four to five years later, the new reception team has taken shape.
Leaving the first impression of our church to newcomers, the reception staff connects the congregants with the church. They guide first-time guests and maintain order during services. Having the widest contact with believers, they also play an important role in identifying strangers and guarding against heresy.
Furthermore, the reception team has a special role in the church’s mission of evangelism. A welcoming and caring reception service can make believers and first-time visitors feel at home in the church, while indifferent or forceful behavior can have the opposite effect. As the first point of contact in the church, the reception team can influence people’s decisions to stay or leave. In this sense, the reception ministry becomes more and more important while preaching the gospel in public places is illegal.
(All names and locations in this article are pseudonyms.)
- Edited & translated by Abigail Wu
