We Declare this Sunday to Be...Name Amnesty Sunday!
Posted by Julie Hahn on
What is Name Amnesty Sunday?
Name Amnesty Sunday* is a day where you are free to ask anyone their name without shame or embarrassment. It is also a day where you grant amnesty to those who have forgotten your name. To help with the effort, we will hand out nametags to wear this Sunday.
We know most people don't like to wear nametags, and it may seem a little intimidating to a first-time visitor, but studies show that names are more difficult to remember than people's jobs, hobbies, or hometowns (Cohen & Faulkner, 1986). Now that we've been meeting together for more than a year, and as our Sunday gatherings continue to grow, we want to hit the reset button for remembering names and get a do-over.
This Sunday, December 18, will be our first Name Amnesty Sunday. Help us by filling in a nametag when you come to church this Sunday, and, if you see a visitor, explain to them what the nametags are about. It may seem a little awkward at first, but we think it will be a fun and helpful way to continue to make connections.
And by way of example, I'll 'fess up -- I called Dave McCray, our faithful setup team driver, "Mark" for about two months even though he told me his name is Dave every Sunday. He said he's been called worse. Sorry, Dave!
See you Sunday,
Julie Hahn Kerner
Ministry Assistant
*Thanks to our friend, Tim Challies, at www.challies.com, from whom we've shamelessly borrowed this great idea!