Discernment Without Judgment: Welcoming While Watching

Yesterday, after church, I had four separate conversations with people about those we might label as “suspicious” in the congregation. Some said they felt uneasy about a visitor/ visitors who didn’t look or act like everyone else. Others admitted they struggled to know whether their concern was the Holy Spirit’s warning or just their own discomfort. And let’s be honest, there is a real fear after the tragedies of the past week. When Christians make the news because of violence or disruption, it heightens our awareness and stirs up the question: How do we keep our people safe without pushing away those God may be drawing in?

This is a real tension in the church. On one hand, Jesus calls us to welcome the stranger, love our neighbor, and remember that many people are hurting, lonely, or simply different. On the other hand, Scripture also teaches us to be watchful, sober-minded, and discerning because the enemy prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8 LSB).

So how do we avoid unfairly judging people who don’t look or act like us, while still protecting the flock from real danger?

The Call to Hospitality

The church is not a museum for saints but a hospital for sinners. Jesus welcomed the tax collectors, the lepers, and the outcasts. James warns us against showing partiality based on appearance:

“My brothers, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in bright clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:1–4 LSB).

If someone walks into our service dressed differently, carrying burdens we cannot see, we must not shut them out because of a label we place on them. Hospitality means giving people the benefit of the doubt and treating them as image-bearers of God. It means remembering that we ourselves were once outsiders, brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).

The Call to Discernment

At the same time, discernment is not optional. Jesus told His disciples to be “shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16 LSB). That means we don’t assume every person has pure motives. We pay attention to behavior, not just appearance.

Discernment is not suspicion. It is prayerfully asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom to know if someone is struggling and needs help, or if someone is dangerous and needs boundaries. Leaders, greeters, and security teams in the church can be trained to recognize warning signs without painting every unfamiliar face as a threat.

How to Walk the Tension

• Check Your Heart - Am I feeling uneasy because of someone’s appearance, or because the Spirit is nudging me about something deeper?

• Engage, Don’t Avoid – A simple “Hello, welcome, can I help you?” can reveal a lot. Many “creepy” people are simply lonely people who haven’t felt kindness in years.

• Work as a Body – No one person sees everything. The church must communicate. If several people notice troubling behavior, take it seriously.

• Pray for Wisdom – James 1:5 tells us that God gives wisdom generously to those who ask. Pray before reacting in fear or dismissing concern.

Err on the Side of Love, but Stay Alert, Protect the flock while remembering that Jesus died for the outsider too.

A Shepherd’s Heart

As a pastor, I confess that I often don’t get scared or fearful. That can make me less sensitive to danger than some. Others in the church are more cautious, and that balance is a gift. The key is to work together, those with boldness leading in welcome, those with discernment helping us stay safe.

We must not let fear close the doors of the church to those who desperately need Christ. At the same time, we must not let naivety blind us to real danger. By God’s Spirit, we can walk in both hospitality and discernment, guarding the flock while opening wide the doors of grace.

A Word to Ignite Church

Family, I want you to know this: we are taking both your safety and our mission seriously. Our goal is that Ignite Church is always a place where strangers feel welcomed, the broken feel loved, and every person has the chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. At the same time, we are committed to being wise and watchful. We will continue to train our leaders, greeters, and security team so that we are ready to respond if true danger arises.

Your role is to keep praying, keep loving, and keep discerning. Don’t let fear take over, but don’t ignore when the Spirit stirs your heart. Talk to a leader if you sense something is wrong. Together, we can remain a church that is both safe and welcoming, a lighthouse of hope in a dark world.

Soil Deo Gloria,

Pastor Jody