How well we host people in our churches reflects how well we host the Presence overall. Influential church leaders don’t typically hyperfocus on one element in service while neglecting the other.
I believe most of us have experienced an unhealthy imbalance. Hospitality matters and there are strategic moves we can make to welcome people into our churches. For those who don’t like structure, this may sound offensive!
While on vacation, we visited a church much larger than our own. I was surprised when I actually felt welcome there. I expected to blend in with everyone else. But all it took for me to feel welcome was for a young lady to guide us to the restrooms. She could have just smiled and pointed in the general vicinity, but she went the extra mile (or 25 steps)!
She took those extra few minutes out of her morning to minister to me. Her actions communicated that we mattered. She was warm and inviting. She listened. We were her focus. She demonstrated a beautiful gift of hospitality. Her ministry didn’t start after the music began. She ministered to the Lord just by spending time with us. Her eyes weren’t scouting for the next family coming in, but she looked to see the family right in front of her.
Her ministry was an integral part of the service. It wouldn’t have been the same experience without her. Her ministry didn’t require a microphone. Her service mattered, greatly impacting how we felt as service began.
Maybe talking about making provisions in your church to become more “seeker-friendly” isn’t as wasteful as you think.
Maybe helping people feel more comfortable doesn’t take away from stewarding the Presence.
Maybe making room for others to minister to the Lord with gifts that don’t look like yours matters, after all.
Perhaps a little structure isn’t so bad after all.
Yes, we must take time to wait on God, but we must also incorporate practical and intentional efforts to wait on people. Maybe God is waiting for us!
Is hospitality your gift? You matter, and the church needs you. You don’t need a microphone to serve and minister to the people around you. Ministering to the people actually ministers to the Lord! We must remember this integral part in seeking God’s Presence in our services.
Consider the Good Samaritan.
In the parable of the good Samaritan, the Priest and Levite were all about ministering to the Lord. I don’t think they considered ministering to people as a way to minister to the Lord. The Priest and the Levite’s ministry left people in the dust. They weren’t ministering to the Lord as much as they thought they were. Which begs the question: are we?
Does your “ministry” leave people in the dust? People matter. Don’t just point people to the Lord; give your time to the Lord and walk those extra 25 steps to a mile that way with them. I’m challenged and convicted today. Can I encourage you to ask the Lord to highlight ministries you’ve devalued because they’re not like yours or not your idea of what is needed in the church?
People matter. Hospitality matters.
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