Nearly two years ago, a group of St. Margaret's members had an idea: what if we could give people a glimpse into our worship before they actually visit?  One of the biggest challenges that newcomers face is the unknown.  What will the worship be like?  How do I participate?  These questions sometimes delay or prevent seekers from visiting a church that is new to them.  We figured out that we could help overcome that barrier by making some videos to orient people to our worship before they decide to visit.

Creating the videos proved to be more difficult than we expected.  Several good attempts were made before we finally asked Jaman Matthews, Communications Director for the Diocese of Arkansas, to come in and take the lead.  He did so, graciously volunteering his spare time.

Two videos were made: The first one is a general orientation to worship, with information about when to sit, stand, and kneel, and why some people bow and make the sign of the cross.  The second video is an invitation to Holy Communion with an explanation about what it means, and how to receive it.  When both videos were completed last month, we added them to our website and to our Facebook Page.  Dozens of people liked, commented, and shared them, resulting in over 2,500 views of the videos so far.

We now have unique tool to help visitors see what St. Margaret's is all about, and to make those newcomers feel welcome when they worship with us.  If you haven't yet viewed the videos, you can find them here.  Don't forget to share them with your friends!