Dear Friends in Christ:
My article for this month will focus on the subject of Hospitality. It’s very important for a church to be warm, inviting and hospitable to others. I would like to share some information from Robert Schnase’s short book, “Five Practices of Radical Hospitality.” He says in his book: Churches aspiring to Radical Hospitality must regularly ask:
- How are we doing at inviting guests and at teaching people to invite others?
- How are we doing at genuinely and authentically welcoming people?
- How are we doing at helping people find their way into our congregation?
- What are we doing to help people who are unfamiliar with us to feel at home?
- How can we offer the Radical Hospitality we see in the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Christ?
- How are we doing as a congregation in our worship services and mission projects and youth programs?
- How can we do better?
Here are some suggestions from the book.
- A congregation changes its culture one person at a time. Radical Hospitality begins with a single heart, a growing openness, a prayerful desire for the highest good of a stranger.
- Churches that are hospitable make Christian invitation and welcome a vital part of the culture of the church, an expectation of every member.
- Churches that practice Radical Hospitality constantly learn from other churches how to do better with hospitality, visitor follow-up, and newcomer assimilation.
- Churches that practice Radical Hospitality launch new ministries and classes especially aimed at including those who are new.5. Churches that practice Radical Hospitality engage people, listen to them, and help them feel accepted, respected connected, needed, involved and loved.It goes without saying that we want others to enter into our church in an atmosphere of warmth, love, acceptance and encouragement. Make it a point to invite others to church each week! Amen! As always, please call on me if there is any way I can be of spiritual service to you. It is truly an honor to be serving Christ with you.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Rob