5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Colossians 4:5-6
Speak to others from your own changed life. Speak in such a way that gives a flavor and preservation (salt effect) to your words. Speak in such a way that would cause others to ask questions about your faith. Speak that you would be able to answer questions about the gospel without reproach.
Don’t assume people are believers. Don’t expect others to live like believers in Christ until you know that they are genuinely believers in Christ. Don’t let your personal views (sports, politics, sororities, fraternities, etc…) come through before gospel-driven, Christ-exalting language comes through. Don’t waste time.
Remember this, your words mean something and the way you speak says just as much. Reflect on the above passage long enough for its simple exhortation to cause you to think twice (or even be convicted) about what you say toward outsiders and how you treat them.
Grounded 
It is troubling when instead of representing Christ welcoming arms to our community we make our visitors feel like they are not acceptable (just as they are) in the Lord’s house. When we make some negative or judemental comment to a visitor we stand the chance of turning away someone who may never come back. We have not only turned away that person but we have also possibly turned away the 7 other people they each tell their story to. To be criticized or not welcomed because you don’t meet some personal standard of a church member just validates all who call us hypocrits.
It can be really hard for someone to step into a church. If a person has not been for a while or perhaps are atttending by themselves. We should do everything possible to make them feel welcome. The prositure, the drunkard, and the theif should feel most welcome of any other place in our church because we are a hospital for the hurting not a social club for the like minded.
Gary McElhaney
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For if you love those who love you what reward do you have do not even the tax collectors do the same. And if you greet only your brothers and sisters what more are you doing than others?
Matthew 5:46-47
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