Introverted Church: Introverts and extroverts in church

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Introverts and extroverts in church

David Berresford has started a series on exploring how introverts and extroverts interact in various settings, starting with churches. He has consulted on the topic with many organizations. He is going to move on to a business setting and a school setting after this, but many of you may be most interested in his first post.

"If an extrovert visits a congregation that does not show any interest in them they are unlikely to become involved in any capacity. Interestingly enough, the same congregation that barely greets a visitor is not inviting to an introvert either. Introverts want to know that people care. They just don’t want to be overwhelmed by them.

Read the rest at Introverts and Extroverts in a Church Dynamic

1 comments:

Emmet of ArolisOct 10, 2010 10:34 PM
I agree with this. I like a welcoming church. When I'm by myself at a new church, I kind of get the warm fuzzies when strangers welcome me, even if they interrupt me while I'm sitting in a pew quietly writing before the service. And one thing I'm disappointed about in my present church is that not one single person has shown an interest in doing more than talking to me casually on a Sunday morning. No one has ever even asked me out for coffee, though I've been in a couple short-term small groups. Having extraverts reach out to me like that makes me feel welcomed, particularly since I'm not good at doing the reaching out.
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