From Forced Fellowship to Respectful Friendliness

I have never been a fan of the "stand-and-greet" custom in many churches (called "passing the peace" among our more liturgical brethren and sistren). In theory, it makes people feel welcome and makes a church seem friendly. In practice, however, I think it makes visitors uncomfortable, makes introverts uncomfortable, and almost never produces meaningful interaction between the species (introverts/extroverts/ambiverts).

So I was glad to see this post from Thom Rainer, in which he suggests better ways to make a church welcoming and friendly. I think he's on to something.