Some churches ask visitors to stand up...

Some churches ask visitors to stand up and identify themselves at one point during Sunday services. Some other congregations ask visitors to wear name tags. Good welcoming strategy?

No, according to Barna Research Group in Glendale, which conducted a nationwide survey of 900 adults unaffiliated with a church.

Visitors generally would like to learn about a congregation--but without drawing undue attention, said George Barna, president of the group.

Sixty-four percent of those surveyed said they would not like to be identified during the service as visitors, including 47% who said they would “dislike it a lot.” Only 23% said they would like a church to do that, 10% said it would not matter and 2% had no opinion.

Six out of 10 people also said they would not want to wear a name tag, Barna said.

Most “unchurched” people, as non-members are termed by church leaders, would rather remain anonymous during the service, he said.

“Many unchurched people are uncomfortable returning to church,” Barna said. “They don’t know anyone in the congregation, they don’t know the traditions of the church, they’re often not sure what to expect next in the service--and then suddenly they become the focus of the entire congregation.”

On the other hand, 74% said they would would like to be provided written information about the church, its beliefs and programs.

And 67% said they would like it if church members greeted them individually after the service. Only 19% said they disliked the idea.

The findings are part of a larger study on Americans who do not attend church, Barna said.

CONFERENCE

Islamic teachings on marriage and family life will be examined at a three-day conference starting at 8 a.m. Friday at the Stouffer Concourse Hotel in Los Angeles. Sponsored by the Masjid As-Salaam, a 200-member, predominantly African-Americans mosque, “The Making of the Muslim Family” will cover topics such as mate selection, marital obligations and rights, children’s rights, divorce and abortion. Speakers will include Abu-Bekr Ali, president of Pacific Psychotherapy Associates, and Muzammil Siddiqi of the Islamic Society of Orange County.

DATES

For the seventh straight year, a Pentecostal congregation in La Verne will provide a free Thanksgiving meal this Sunday after its 11 a.m. service at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona. Clothing and shoes will also be distributed to the needy. The House of Praise pastor, the Rev. John Pereda, said the meal will be served in Building 8 at the fairgrounds, also known as the Fairplex. The congregation, which a spokesman said is leaving the Assemblies of God to become independent, will also hold a concert at the fairground facility at 8 p.m., featuring the South African group Jabulani.

Benjamin Britten’s “The Company of Heaven,” a 50-minute work interspersed with readings and performed only twice before in the United States, will be performed in a concert at 4 p.m. Sunday at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. A 50-voice choir and orchestra will be conducted by Steve Pilkington, music director at the church. Donations of $5 per person will be asked at the door.

The annual meeting of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles on Monday will feature a panel discussion by community leaders on nonviolent ways to combat the drug crisis. State Sen. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles) and the Rev. Richard Horton, pastor of the Eternal Promise Baptist Church, are among the speakers. The membership meeting, which starts at 7 p.m., will be at Faith United Methodist Church in Los Angeles.