Each quarter, I check to see who’s missing from recent Sunday mornings because Sunday morning is game day. Sunday morning is when the Body of Christ is the fullest it’s going to be all week in one place. Kids see people of all ages and all stages best on Sunday morning. They enjoy the rituals and regular practices from the Lord’s Prayer in the worship service to the greeters who hold the door open with a smile at their regular entrance after parent’s/caregiver’s park in their regular space. Sunday morning matters. If kids are missing on consecutive Sundays, it’s the perfect time to write post cards.

Kids can’t get the online newsletter. Kids can’t scroll through Facebook to see what’s going on. Kids typically don’t listen to church podcasts or sermons online. Kids can’t drive themselves to church and frankly, most don’t know what’s going on from day to day unless they’re told ahead of time. So I send postcards. Handwritten postcards. Handwritten addresses and notes saying, “I miss you! Mrs. G is your Sunday school teacher this month and I know how much you really like her. Small groups start at 9:30am, but you can come early. I hope to see your awesome smile soon.” Then I print my name. Many kids are not taught cursive writing today, so I hand print everything.

Ordering the postcards from 123print.com or vistaprint.com, I make the postcard a solid color and our ministry logo in white. I change the solid color each year just for fun. I send postcards for a whole host of reasons, but quarterly, especially to those who’re missing.

Last week I mailed 20 postcards. On Sunday, I saw the awesome smiles of ten who received last week’s postcards. I only mentioned it to one parent, but I made a big deal out of them coming as I do for everyone else. Greeting matters.

One of the five pillars of our ministry is that kids know they belong. Letting them know they were missed tells them they belong. It’s an easily-accomplished level of extravagant hospitality. And kids love mail!

“And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:5