The Hospitality of a Growing Church

Hebrews 13:2, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

There is no doubt in my mind that the teaching that you are about to read is a vital part of the great revival at the Twin Rivers Baptist Church. Our discipleship program is very successful here. Some choose to call it a follow-up ministry. One of the key elements to a successful follow-up ministry is to get as many people as you can involved. I’m asking you to get involved and help me with our hospitality around the church. We may not have the largest church in the nation, but we can have the friendliest. Notice, the Bible teaches us here that we are to entertain strangers. The Bible is teaching we are to be hospitable. The words “entertain” and “hospitality” are almost identical in meaning. They mean we should “reach out and pull people in.” We are to take hold of them and pull them toward our church and towards the Lord. We should pull them into our Sunday school classes, into our church, into our homes and into our lives. The following points are important as you practice Biblical hospitality:

1. Be decent to everyone in the community so they will possibly become a visitor someday.
2. Greet everyone that comes onto our church property.
   • This is both for church greeters as well as for all the congregation.
3. Leave designated visitors parking spots open for visitors to our church.
4. Every church member should introduce themself, their mate and their family to every visitor.
5. Introduce visitors to other members in the church once you have met them.
6. Ask visitors to sit with you during the service.
7. Help visitors to find the nurseries.
8. Help visitors to find the Sunday school class that is designed for their children.
9. Walk up to visitors and ask this question, “How may I help you?”
10. Personally invite every visitor back to our other church services.
11. Tell visitors about the activities at our church.
    • Things like special ladies’ fellowships, teen activities, Sunday school, etc…
12. Brag on Jesus and our church to our visitors.
13. Offer visitors opportunities to share a meal with you at your home.
14. Take homemade treats or cookies to a visitor’s home following their visit to our church.
15. Every church member should congratulate every newly saved person and every new church member at the altar.

I Peter 4:9, “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.” Please notice that the Bible teaches that we should practice hospitality one to another without “grudging.” That means that we should be more than willing to be hospitable and we should do it with a positive attitude. If you will practice this type of hospitality, you will have the privilege of seeing many people influenced and you will “pull them into our church.”