Five Practices Meeting 1 Notes

The first meeting of the Five Practices Lenten discussion took place on March 2nd. We had 14 people in attendance. The topic was radical hospitality. There was quite a bit of discussion. First, a definition of radical hospitality was offered. We began to understand that radical hospitality was welcoming the stranger. The question of the night was, how well do we do that?

We discussed what the condition of our church said to first time visitors. We discussed whether the bathrooms were easy to find, and if our signs were appropriate.

We talked about how best to introduce ourselves to people we don't know. We decided that saying something like, "Hi, I don't think I've met you" or "Hi, my name is [input your name here], I don't think I know your name." Of course there are other ways to do this. The important point is to realize that we are to welcome those who come. Instead of asking someone who the new person is, we decided we would ask them ourselves.

We also talked about changing the culture of our church to be welcoming. We are, in a way, a School of Love. We are both teachers and learners in this school.

We also realized that by becoming more welcoming would mean that things would change. We don't know exactly what the change will look like, but talked about what that might mean.

Some thoughts/ideas that were shared:

Once in a while the leaders of the church attending the service they don't usually attend so they can get to know people from that service.

Having a pre-school celebration to show hospitality to the parents of our pre-schoolers. Also, how could we show more hospitality to the pre-school parents and kids.

Having a thank-you meal for individuals in the community such as policeman and/or fireman.

Having a dinner for new-members and/or new attendees to our church.

Creating a church-flyer highlighting various opportunities and activities.

The 5-10 method: Take time to noticing those within 10 feet of you whom you do not know. After the service spend the first to introduce yourself to people you don't know.

One of the things I came away with is how being hospitable is a job for all. We can't expect others to be welcoming if we are not. If a guest came into our home we would welcome them. It is the same with our church home. We want to welcome our guests!