Every church I know of says that they are friendly.  If churches are so friendly, then, why do so many people who come to churches feel that they are on the outside looking in?  The reality is that churches are generally friendly to each other, but not always to the new person who is coming for the first or second time.  Friendliness, actually, is not a primary goal of the church as far as I am concerned.  Faithfulness should be our primary concern, and one of the hallmarks of faithfulness is hospitality – welcoming the stranger, embracing those who are different from us, expanding the circle to include new persons in our midst. 

Like many things, hospitality doesn’t just happen!  Hospitality is built on a conscious effort to be open and welcoming, to include and incorporate.  Hospitality requires looking at the church with a new-comers eyes, and not just new comers to our church, but new-comers to the Christian faith as well.  We make so many assumptions within congregation life:

- if you are interested in something, see so-and-so – identifying them only by their first name, no contact information, no additional details.  We just assume that everyone knows him or her, and that everyone knows that this is an open invitation.

- we’re meeting in the Asbury Room – where’s that?  Is it marked?  Are there directions posted within the church?

- Representatives of the UMW and UMM heard a report at the Ad Council meeting on the latest correspondence from the CFA of the GNJAC (our alphabet soup communication method that even the most schooled United Methodist can find confusing)

Hospitality requires planning, energy, openness to the leading of the Spirit, and a desire to share the good news.  It’s not a committee’s responsibility – it is a congregational responsibility, a part of our witness to the word.  I am inviting you to be a part of a new focus on hospitality that enlists greeters, ushers, worship leaders, Sunday School leaders, communication people, and many others in creating an atmosphere of welcome and invitation.  We will be utilizing a resource developed by the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection entitled, “Catch”.   We will be gathering for study/planning sessions on two Wednesday evenings in July:  July 7th and July 28th (the first and the last), and then a follow up session in mid August. Our July meetings will be from 7 – 8:30 p.m. in the library.  (Yes, we’ll have refreshments as well).   I invite everyone willing to share in the exciting new effort to join us for these gatherings, so that we might be better positioned to make a difference for Jesus Christ in the community. 

I thank you in advance for making this a priority this summer.  God has great things in store for our congregation and together we will truly make a difference. 

In Christ,
Steve