Faith

Sunday Morning

I don’t know about you, but when I go to church, I like to sit in my pew and soak in the word of God. Undisturbed.

Going to church helps me to feel rejuvenated. It fuels me up for the week and gives me a renewed sense of purpose and direction. Over the course of the week, I can get sidetracked and overwhelmed with work, relationships, and mistakes I made. I can become obsessed with things that I want or new hobbies I have to try or deadlines I need to meet.

But when I go to church, all of that falls away. I can sing the hymns, read the Bible, and be reminded of my ultimate purpose here on Earth. I remember that I am loved and I am a child of God. I remember that I was created for a purpose. I remember that material things will fade away and what really matters is our relationship with God and the people in our lives. I can breathe again and feel at peace. Almost.

The weekly meet-and-greet session transforms church from a rejuvenating oasis into an anxiety-ridden torture chamber. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. However, the meet-and-greet is my least favorite part of church. Just when I’m getting swept away by the beauty of the hymns, the worship leader stops the music and announces that it’s time for everyone to turn and greet their neighbors.

People start mingling and moving from pew to pew to shake hands, catch up, and make small talk. I stink at small talk. So I stand in my pew, look around and smile at the people around me. I’ll shake hands and say good morning, and pray for the worship music to start back up so everyone can return to their seats and we can get back to the part of church that I enjoy.

Now, I know that fellowship is an important part of the Christian faith. We are supposed to love each other and share our lives with each other. But for introverts, the standard meet-and-greet time may not be the best way to do this. Here are some great ways for introverts to build fellowship.

  1. Join a Sunday school class. These classes are usually very structured and lead to deep and meaningful group discussions.
  2. Join a life group. Life groups can be based on age or joint interests. Life groups usually meet several times a month for fellowship and bonding activities. Because these groups are usually small with people who share interests, there is a good chance that you will click with someone and make friends.
  3. Volunteer. Volunteering gives you a concrete task and a way to serve. You can work with children in the nursery, hand out bulletins as an usher, or even help set op food or wash dishes during coffee hour.

The great thing about finding fellowship through these avenues is that meet-and-greet time becomes less painful. You can simply make your way to people you’ve met through volunteering or life groups and say hello!

Of course, if none of those ideas work, you can always stay seated during meet-and-greets and use the time to write a quick prayer or praise in your journal. That removes the pressure of having to find someone to talk to, while keeping you focused on God.

I still cringe a little when the worship leader announces that it’s time for meet-and-greet, but I’ve learned that being involved in church and knowing people in the congregation helps to make the time a little less awkward. Who knows? With a little more time and practice, it might become something I look forward to.

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