Sunday school class or small-group Bible study can be a source of comfort and fellowship for Christians. It provides a safe place to engage in biblical discussions and gain knowledge of Scripture in more depth and detail than is possible by listening to a sermon.

To a new Christian, however, the atmosphere is often less than inviting. New Christians are prone to insecurity about their faith and their salvation. Many times newly born-again people hesitate to attend a small-group study or Sunday school class out of fear that the more mature class members will judge them.

Both mature and new Christians need to realize that a person's maturity level does not make them more or less of a "true Christian." All Christians should demonstrate Christ's love for one another by welcoming and embracing others in the faith.

Many mature Christians have a tendency to look down on those new to the faith as inferior. Too often a small-group situation is cliquish and, either consciously or unconsciously, established members make visitors feel unwelcome. Likewise, many new Christians are uncomfortable around more established Christians because they feel unsure about their salvation.

Lessons from nature and children

In nature, the lion will search the herd for the weak and the sick, as they are easier prey. In the same way, Satan "prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

Christians who are new to and less secure of their faith will more easily believe Satan's lies. The devil is well aware of this. Therefore, he is more likely to attack the faith of a "newborn" Christian than a more mature one. New believers need nurturing and protection, not judgment from the more mature Christians in the class.

When someone is born again, he or she becomes a new person. Just as a newborn baby develops over time, so a newly born-again Christian will mature over time if welcomed into the congregation and/or small group.

As anyone with children will attest to, each child develops and matures in different ways and at different rates. Some babies walk by the time they are nine months old, while others may be 13 or 14 months before they take their first step.

Mature and new Christians sometimes forget this basic fact of child development. All Christians need to realize that every person grows in faith at the rate God has prescribed. Instead of judging another's maturity level, Christians should nurture each other's faith, regardless of whether they were saved as a child or as an adult.

Ways to welcome

The challenge of integrating new Christians into an established class or Bible study requires balancing the needs of the newly saved with the conveyance of the absolute truths of the Christian faith. When new members join a class, the established members can make their transition easier by "speaking the truth in love" and avoiding harsh or judgmental language.

New Christians often feel inadequate or unworthy, and even more so in a group of mature believers. A good way to reduce those feelings is to have a designated time (about every four weeks or so) for established members to share their testimonies. One of the most encouraging things for a new believer is to find that others have gone through the same or similar struggles.

Each class or small group should have a person or people (depending on the size of the group/class) responsible for integrating new members. These mentors should be able to spend the time to get one-on-one with new members and disciple them through the early steps of their Christian walk. In order to avoid the potential for impropriety, someone of the same gender should mentor new members.

The mentors should also be responsible for distributing a welcome bag to new class members. The bag should contain the name(s) and contact information for the teacher(s) of the class, the pastor, and the mentor as well as any other "goodies" that would be age appropriate for the class demographic.

Getting a new Christian "plugged in" to a Sunday school class or Bible study group is imperative to feeling a part of the group. If a new Christian feels uninvolved in a group, they are less likely to stay and grow.

Perhaps the most intimidating part of being a new believer is the biblical knowledge of the established members. Encouraging new believers to read their Bible daily will not only help them feel more comfortable in class, but will also deepen their overall faith. If the resources allow, keeping a small stock of study guides (such as "Footsteps Through the Bible" by Richard M. Gagnon) on hand to include in the "welcome bag" is one way to facilitate this idea. "Understanding the Bible" is another good reference for new Christians to learn how to study the Word.

Bible study groups and Sunday school classes are composed of people. Since God has made each person an individual, there is no blanket solution. The established members need to remember that new members may be shy, outgoing or somewhere in between.

Individual class members should take the time, either at the beginning or at the end of class to introduce themselves to the new member. However, if everyone comes at the new member at one time, it could be overwhelming. Therefore, the class members should be careful to spread out some of the introductions. Hopefully, the new member will return and it won't be necessary for everyone to introduce themselves at once.

When introducing yourself to a new class member, try not to probe too deeply into the new person's history. Give newcomers a chance to get comfortable before you ask them to bare their souls. If they feel that attending class subjects them to a grand inquisition of their entire lives up to that point, they will be unlikely to return.

Keep the introductions short and to the point. Volunteer your name and other pertinent information (spouse, kids, etc.) before asking about theirs. Many new Christians have come to Christ out of a crisis situation and may be reluctant to trust people they don't really know with a lot of personal information.

If new members seem hesitant to provide much more than their name, don't press them. Instead, pray (privately) for God to open that person's heart to you. God is not a god of chance or coincidence, and that person is in your class for a reason. Through prayer, God will show you the best way to reach that person.

The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:13 spoke of love as being the greatest of the fruits of the Spirit. By welcoming newly saved or unsaved people into our Sunday school class or small group study, we are living the very centerpiece of our faith. Therefore, it should be the priority of every Christian to extend the hand of fellowship to all newcomers to the faith. In doing so, we can truly show Christ's love.