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IN RETROSPECT Hospitality:
More Than A Handshake
And Cup Of Coffee
By Delia Halverson,
Halverson is chair of the Conference Council on
Ministries’ Discipleship ministry team and a nationally known retreat and workshop
leader, Christian education consultant, and author. She and her husband, Sam, live in Fort
Myers.
The word hospitality has become a catchword in the tourist industry. But for the church, it is a biblical mandate.
Jesus exhibited hospitality in every aspect of his life. He washed the disciples’ feet instead of hiring someone else to do it. In Hebrews 13:2 we read: “Be sure to welcome strangers into your home (church). By doing this, some people have welcomed angels as guests, without even knowing it.” (CEV)
Hospitality is a God-given gift young children express quite naturally, but we train them otherwise with stress on independence. Hospitality is an expression of interdependence. Someone once defined hospitality as “…showing how much you care for another person before expounding on how much you know.”
Use this checklist to reflect on hospitality in your church:
Are
doors open to the street, or does it look like you’ll be trapped when you enter the
building?
Does
upkeep give the impression that people care?
Do you
wear and provide name tags, indicating that you care about names?
Are
nurseries, classrooms and hallways clean, bright and inviting?
Are
there first-time parking spaces, handicap ramps, maps and parking lot greeters?
Are
words to prayers and creeds printed or referenced by page in the bulletin?
Are
volunteers affirmed, ministries highlighted?
Is
there obvious support during crisis?
Are
there celebrations of various “rites of passage” in life? (birthdays,
anniversaries, home dedications, births, beginning school, baptism, confirmation,
graduation, first/new jobs, retirement, etc.)
Do you
offer opportunities for families to study, play and work in mission together? Or do you
separate families when they enter?
Do you
respect busy schedules and group meetings and plan accordingly?
Are
meetings times for spiritual growth, as well as business? Is the central purpose of
drawing people to God central in meetings?
Do you
offer various forms of worship to meet the needs of all personalities?
Resources: “Celebrating Passages in the Church,” Hugh Sanborn; “Embracing Diversity,” Charles Foster; “The Gift of Hospitality,” Delia Halverson; “Knowing Me, Knowing God,” Malcolm Goldsmith; “Transforming Church Boards,” Charles Olsen; “The Faith-Sharing Congregation,” Roger Swanson and Shirley Clement.
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