Words of Welcome

Rev. Joshua Patty

Regional Minister and President

In the past five years, worship leaders have added one specific thing to their words of welcome – an explicit welcome to those worshiping who are not present in the sanctuary. This is an important recognition for everyone – those in the room are not the only ones worshiping; those joining elsewhere are not surreptitiously peeking through the fence.

As we continue to grow into hybrid worship, I imagine our language will adapt. Jim Keat, digital minister of Riverside Church, shared last month some words that he no longer uses in this context, including “in person” and “virtual.” He helpfully points out that all people are in person wherever they are and that we hope the experience of worship is real, whether you participate (to use his now preferred language) “onsite” or “online.”

As worship leaders, we know that language is a powerful tool. Some words can invite people into an experience of God through worship, including vulnerability. Other words, though, can jar people by wrongly presuming who they are or where they are or, worse, make people defensive and closed off. In 

Hybrid worship, and the access to recordings later, means that our worship services involve people in a variety of places and at different times. What words are most accurate for this? Perhaps more importantly, what words point toward what we hope each person will experience in worship?

Here are a couple of things I try never to do when leading worship, especially online. I try never to mention time of day (morning, afternoon, etc), trusting that people can and will join at all times of day, not just the specific moments when I’m leading or recording. This intentional practice can be meaningful, as when I lead Praying Together each month – I hope that people across our region are joining in prayer across multiple hours and even days, perhaps together praying without ceasing..

I’ve also learned never to simply greet the online folks as “those joining from home.” People join our worship services online from a variety of places beyond their homes. In my previous congregation, we began livestreaming part of worship for an elder undergoing cancer treatments in a hospital. As soon as we began streaming worship, we discovered others joining too from a variety of places.

What language are you using in your worship services related to onsite and online participation? What words will you not use? What words might you try to point toward the shared experience you hope everyone has in worship? (Feel free to email me specific ones; if I receive enough examples, I’m happy to share them in a future newsletter.)