If people visit your church once or twice but don’t return, you may have a “guest readiness” issue.
Often, we go to great lengths to welcome people in our homes. The same should be true as we welcome new guests to the church.“Be sure to welcome strangers into your home. By doing this, some people have welcomed angels as guests, without even knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2
There’s a difference between being friendly and being hospitable. Churches may consider themselves a “friendly church” but often that means they're nice to one another. Hospitality is extended to people we don’t know. Hospitality is the deep, meaningful engagement to people we meet for the first time.
In this, episode three of a four-part Church Growth podcast series, we focus on what it means to be guest ready.
- Episode 1: Is your church ready for growth?
- Episode 2: Plan outreach events that build relationships and growth
- Episode 4: Connecting new people to the church
Dr. Kim Pope-Seiberling is part of a husband-wife duo working to help the church embody 1 > 99 at brokensheep.com. She has been a pastor of growing churches in urban, suburban and rural settings for over 17 years, helping turn around churches after years of decline. Originally published by UMCOM.