The Unwelcoming Committee

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.

John 10:14 ESV

Have you ever walked into a room and felt about as welcome as a hair on a biscuit? When you’re the new kid on the block, sometimes people look at you like an invading virus instead of a potential new friend. Cliques are everywhere, in neighborhoods, at work, even in churches. But what can you do when you’re the odd one out? If youwant fellowship, the first thing you have to do is get to know the fellows on the ship. Dale Carnegie, who wrote the classic book How to Win Friends and Influence People, said that learning a person’s name is key. “Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language,” he wrote. Next, listening is important. In fact, listening is half of any successful conversation. In short, be friendly, if you want to have friends.

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