One of the hardest conversations I have as a priest is with people who are heartbroken that their children or grandchildren do not go to church.
It pains me, too. I can cite statistics about religious disaffiliation, but these are not mere numbers. These are friends.
I notice a desire by many — myself included — to look for the silver bullet that will keep people in church. One of the efforts I have heard talked about the most is the need to be a welcoming church.
Now, I like kind people at the door. I like going to a place where people know my name. Being welcoming is great.
But welcome isn’t enough.
The majority of Catholics in the United States do not attend Mass on a given Sunday. Many of them likely live within range of a parish that would be at least reasonably welcoming.
One Pew study found that among US adults who identify as Catholic but who attend church a few times a year or less often, only 14% chose “I don’t feel welcome” as a very important reason for not attending.
We should strive to embody the welcome demonstrated by Jesus.
We should also strive to facilitate an encounter with Jesus that leads people to show up to church, even when we are not perfectly welcoming.
I agree. Welcoming isn't enough. Also, I think "being welcome" can often be understood as simply being friendly, and that's different than being inclusive. Jesus included everyone and excluded no one. If our churches are unable or unwilling to be inclusive, I feel they betray Jesus' gospel message. This is the radical Good News that so many people aren't aware of when they hear "Christians" preaching a message of exclusion.