Why Being Friendly is Not Nearly Enough to Grow a Healthy Church
It’s back to school season. How is your church using this season as a relaunch opportunity? As the cooler days set in, summer vacations come to an end, and people reset their schedules for a new fall routine, what has your church planned to leverage this moment? Connecting or reconnecting doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. In this series we will explore a few ideas to consider if your church would like to leverage this fall opportunity.
Today we are exploring the idea of hospitality. Many churches have invested heavily in becoming a friendly church. Guests are greeted and offered friendly smiles and small talk. Yes, friendliness is a must. But most guests are seeking much more than friendliness. Friendliness is the baseline for building new relationships.
Let’s remember that the purpose of building new relationships is not to increase the Sunday morning attendance. Nor is the purpose to gain more giving units to support the budget. The relationship building will likely be outside of current church programming and likely out of the church facility. Instead the idea of building community is based in a deep, authentic desire to invest in other people and truly get to know new people. The approach in building new relationships is bathed in curiosity, listening, vulnerability, being judgment-free, and perhaps even wandering beyond our current comfort zone. When this type of community is built, there is a natural tendency for organic spiritual conversations.
The practice of building new community is turning the whole idea of church growth and vitality inside out. It is not centered on the church facility or the Sunday morning experience. Because of the general distrust in institutions and people feeling that the church is hypocritical, judgmental, and only interested in people’s money, new community will need to be built in new places and new ways. Places outside the church and home (often referred to as third places), offer a neutral space that is often more comfortable, more relaxed, less guarded, and more open to meaningful conversation and interaction. Building new community is relational. It is about people - investing deeply and authentically in people in your neighborhoods. Real community begins to build when our hearts begin to break for our neighbors. Think of this new community as a working model of the Kingdom of God. Building new community is an approach to the whole person - a holistic approach. It is about caring deeply for people in the mission field
As individuals and families find themselves establishing a new routine this time of the year, be sure your church is on their radar for a space in their schedule. Without meaningful or valuable connection points, families will become too busy with other activities and not have the time or desire to engage in the life of the church. Which idea or two from the list might your church decide to try?
Check out these related blogs:
“Six Easy Ideas to Simply Reconnect with People Relationally This Fall”
“Top Ten Cultural Trademarks for a Guest Friendly Church"
"Three Common Ways Friendly Church Screw Up Hospitality"
