A Warm Embrace
At the Edmond Church of Christ, we have three major movements for carrying out our mission for Christ; GO,
EMBRACE, and CONNECT. It is in the movement of embracing
our community around us that a real demonstration of lovingly receiving our
guests is expressed. This initiative was launched in late 2012 going into 2013. Scripture calls us to “Accept one another, then, just
as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans
15:7. This is not an option, but a call to express Christian love in a
practical way. It is our attitude of gratitude in response to the love of God
we have received. Herbert Samuels says, "Life is like a mirror. If you
frown at it, it frowns back. If you smile at it, it returns the greeting."
We are called to go, embrace, and connect. We want to be better than "good," we want to be known for our genuine hospitality. Let us make the best effort to let people know how valuable they are to God and to us. They belong here -- as together we all grow deeper in our relationship with God.
Through experience I've learned that people quickly forget what you said, people soon forget what you did, but people cannot forget how you made them feel. Sermons and class can shape our minds, but Jesus impacted lives through embracing and conversation. We can share God’s impact on our lives and how He’s touched our hearts and souls by reaching out to others.
The primary goal of a hospitality ministry team is to join with Jesus in building relationships. The environment we create for our guests is vital, but even more important to representing God. The way we treat those visiting our services matters to them and their feelings toward Christ’s church. None of us would put a sign on our building or wear shirts that guests are not welcome. Yet, from an unbeliever's (sometimes believers) perspective, we communicate that we don't care if people are there. We fail to embrace others and one another. Years ago it was popular to have Romans 16:16 as a bumper sticker, "All the churches of Christ greet you" yet when guests would come into our buildings they were not sincerely greeted. We send many subtle messages that are understood as negative. Why not develop good habits of intentionally expressing clear positive messages of the love of God. Let’s embrace them with the love of God.
The most important factor in determining if a church is warm or cold is not the quality of the sermon. It is not the beauty of the singing, the quality of the Bible classes or the visitor information packets. The most important factor in determining if a church is warm or cold is enabling guests to find at least one friend. If they find a friend, they will want to hear a good sermon. They will want to participate in beautiful singing. They will want to attend meaningful Bible classes and they will be interested in the printed material you present. If they do not make friends, the rest does not matter. A warm church has people who will be friends to guests, but they go beyond that. Those friendly people who make contact with guests make sure that several people are introduced. The guests are not dropped in a classroom or on a pew and expected to seek others. Instead, the friendly people introduce them to others. That makes a warm church.
We are called to go, embrace, and connect. We want to be better than "good," we want to be known for our genuine hospitality. Let us make the best effort to let people know how valuable they are to God and to us. They belong here -- as together we all grow deeper in our relationship with God.
Through experience I've learned that people quickly forget what you said, people soon forget what you did, but people cannot forget how you made them feel. Sermons and class can shape our minds, but Jesus impacted lives through embracing and conversation. We can share God’s impact on our lives and how He’s touched our hearts and souls by reaching out to others.
The primary goal of a hospitality ministry team is to join with Jesus in building relationships. The environment we create for our guests is vital, but even more important to representing God. The way we treat those visiting our services matters to them and their feelings toward Christ’s church. None of us would put a sign on our building or wear shirts that guests are not welcome. Yet, from an unbeliever's (sometimes believers) perspective, we communicate that we don't care if people are there. We fail to embrace others and one another. Years ago it was popular to have Romans 16:16 as a bumper sticker, "All the churches of Christ greet you" yet when guests would come into our buildings they were not sincerely greeted. We send many subtle messages that are understood as negative. Why not develop good habits of intentionally expressing clear positive messages of the love of God. Let’s embrace them with the love of God.
The most important factor in determining if a church is warm or cold is not the quality of the sermon. It is not the beauty of the singing, the quality of the Bible classes or the visitor information packets. The most important factor in determining if a church is warm or cold is enabling guests to find at least one friend. If they find a friend, they will want to hear a good sermon. They will want to participate in beautiful singing. They will want to attend meaningful Bible classes and they will be interested in the printed material you present. If they do not make friends, the rest does not matter. A warm church has people who will be friends to guests, but they go beyond that. Those friendly people who make contact with guests make sure that several people are introduced. The guests are not dropped in a classroom or on a pew and expected to seek others. Instead, the friendly people introduce them to others. That makes a warm church.
It is important to send
missionaries to the field. It is important to reach out evangelistically to our
community. However, if a person or a family comes to our worship service and we do
not reach out to them, we are missing one of the best opportunities to carry
out the Great Commission.
The major aspect we started in 2012 was "Section Hosts." We continue to train and replace hosts families in this area. We have sections hosts assigned in designated areas of the auditorium to embrace, assist, and connect with members and guests. Their main purpose is to be hospitable and create a culture of people feeling welcome. Section Hosts collect the welcome books which allow for communication with us (secondary benefit for recording our attendance). If you are interested in learning more about being a "section host," please contact Kevin for more information and training.
The major aspect we started in 2012 was "Section Hosts." We continue to train and replace hosts families in this area. We have sections hosts assigned in designated areas of the auditorium to embrace, assist, and connect with members and guests. Their main purpose is to be hospitable and create a culture of people feeling welcome. Section Hosts collect the welcome books which allow for communication with us (secondary benefit for recording our attendance). If you are interested in learning more about being a "section host," please contact Kevin for more information and training.
As we develop a more effective
Hospitality Team Ministry, let us continually tell our church family how
important they are to the process. Make sure the members know that they are
part of the “hospitality team” even if they are not part of the formal Hospitality
Ministry. Then we will be a truly warm and embracing church that is the most
hospitable place in God’s world.
God and the early church never took people lightly, and we count it an honor when someone visits our assemblies. Our hospitality ministry is striving to drastically improve in a variety of areas. The newest part is coming soon with "section hosts.”
The service industry racks up billions of dollars each year in sales because people loved to be waited on hand and foot. But this idea of being served didn't just start with the hospitality industry.
Jesus' disciples thought they were going to get a taste of the good life. After all, they were going to be hanging out with the savior of the world. They kept waiting for Jesus to establish an earthly kingdom, and they postured themselves to be his right hand men. But didn't understand Jesus' purpose on earth.
Jesus came to earth to serve. He traveled from town to town spreading God's life-changing message, healing those in need, confronting the oppressive religious leaders of the day, and ultimately, giving his life for anyone who was willing to accept him. Jesus showed the disciples what it meant to serve, but they missed it.
Servanthood is a litmus test for the Christian life. Do we find ourselves in the same boat as the disciples, expecting to be served rather than to serve? If so, we are missing out on all that God has for us. We take our cue from Jesus, serve someone else and discover just what it means to live life to the fullest.
God and the early church never took people lightly, and we count it an honor when someone visits our assemblies. Our hospitality ministry is striving to drastically improve in a variety of areas. The newest part is coming soon with "section hosts.”
The service industry racks up billions of dollars each year in sales because people loved to be waited on hand and foot. But this idea of being served didn't just start with the hospitality industry.
Jesus' disciples thought they were going to get a taste of the good life. After all, they were going to be hanging out with the savior of the world. They kept waiting for Jesus to establish an earthly kingdom, and they postured themselves to be his right hand men. But didn't understand Jesus' purpose on earth.
Jesus came to earth to serve. He traveled from town to town spreading God's life-changing message, healing those in need, confronting the oppressive religious leaders of the day, and ultimately, giving his life for anyone who was willing to accept him. Jesus showed the disciples what it meant to serve, but they missed it.
Servanthood is a litmus test for the Christian life. Do we find ourselves in the same boat as the disciples, expecting to be served rather than to serve? If so, we are missing out on all that God has for us. We take our cue from Jesus, serve someone else and discover just what it means to live life to the fullest.
"And whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."Mark 10:44-45
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