One Sunday morning, a college student volunteered to help in worship by doing the children's sermon. She wanted to talk about how to be a friendly church, so after getting the children up front, she began by asking the question, "What would you do if a stranger came to our church?"

Immediately, one of the kindergartners raised his hand and said, "I'd run away and find my mom."

Another chimed in, "I'd say 'NO!' and go tell my Sunday School teacher!"

One after another the children told the young woman how they would avoid making contact with this stranger. She tried another tactic.

"Well, what would happen if a new child in town was visiting our church for the first time? Wouldn't you be nice to him?"

"Sure!" one of the children said. "But if he was a stranger, I wouldn't be nice to him!"

"What would happen if you were the stranger?" the young lady tried for the third time. You know that look of desperation you get on your face when you know what you're trying to do is going down the drain in a hurry? Well, that was the look she had on her face. "How would you like to be treated? Wouldn't you want them to smile at you and greet you like a friend?"

"Well, yes," replied one of the more thoughtful children, "but not if they were strangers!"