Every church has gate keepers. Gate keepers are those people that are hesitant to accept new people. Gate keepers are concerned with keeping the history and traditions of the church intact over reaching out to people and bringing them into genuine community. Gate keepers are more concerned with the things they value in a church than catching on to what the Holy Spirit is doing and following His lead. Gate keepers refer to classes of people in the church. Those people who have put their time in and those who haven't. Gate keepers are good people who can be harmful to a churches growth.
I was talking with a friend last night who has been going to this church for a year. She has offered to get involved and help out with things a few times and is feeling frustrated because she wants to be a part of the community but there are a few people that are keeping her at a distance. In this case the pastors have appointed a gate keeper as the leader of a ministry further illuminating the problem. The gate keeper will say things like: you've only been here for X amount of time right? Or, we at X church prefer things this way, or any other thing that shows you are an outsider.
Gate keepers can really hamper a churches and a persons growth. Churches grow by more and more people feeling welcome enough to invite their friends and families to church. People grow through their service to God. If you can identify gate keepers and get them out of the way you can expect their to be more growth. If people feel like their friends and family are going to be genuinely welcomed into a warm and loving community of faith they'll invite. If people feel that they aren't being welcomed with open arms into the community of faith not only will they not invite their friends and family, they won't be staying long.
Sound like anyone you know?
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