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hospitality Tag

May 13, 2024

in Alleviation of Poverty, Child Welfare, Church, DTOTD, Global, Guest Services, HCC, Local, Natural Disaster Response, Outreach, packapack, School Outreach, Serve Teams, The Sharing Shed

by Brendon

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Faith without works, is dead

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you say to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled”, without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

– James 2:14-17

Serving others, out of a humble heart, is not an easy choice that not everyone will make.

In the church, we talk about serving all of the time. And to be honest, we have too. Serving is of vital importance to every church’s existence and operational ability. The church was not created to be a paid enterprise organization that is able to pay every single person that changes a diaper or leads a small group. As crazy as it sounds, the church was created to be a vessel of people that would pour into the people around them and inside the walls of the church building to be able to lead those to knowing and following Jesus.

There is one thing about learning about God from an academic stand point, but it is something completely different when it comes to following Jesus’ example of life here on earth.

When we see the disciples, which eventually become Apostles in the book of Acts, get called by Jesus, very early on we see the disciples both learning things and unlearning things. The disciples are learning from Jesus about what life could look like and unlearning what they have been taught since they were kids. Jesus also takes the moments to send his disciples out, very often, the disciples are sent out to serve and to preach the good news of Jesus.

You see when you begin to follow Jesus, and become his disciple, we find that serving is intertwined with your faith and your deepening understanding of who Jesus is for us and through us.

The problem we all face, is that serving has become somewhat of a ‘glamour’ seeking endeavor. Serving has been distorted to be into something that we can brag about. If you read Thought #8, you may be thinking, this sounds a whole lot like hospitality, well because serving and hospitality go hand in hand with our discipleship to Jesus.

You see as we get closer to Jesus, we see that Jesus had a natural rhythm to life that we can emulate. It may not be as deep or as perfect as Jesus’, which is no surprise, it can be lived out in a daily way.

” ………….But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:43-45

Serving is not about your ability to brag about where you serve or how many people you serve. Serving is about the love you have for Jesus overflowing out of our hearts towards others. It could look like this:

Having a meal with family friends that don’t know Jesus. (hospitality)

Planning a VBS while on a mission trip in Ethiopia. (serving)

Wiping the nose of an upset 3 year old at church in the middle of the summer. (serving)

Stopping to listen to a hurting friend or coworker. (hospitality)

Cleaning the bathrooms at a church that doesn’t have anyone to clean the church on a regular basis. (serving)

Reaching out to your neighbor about the doctors appointment they had. (hospitality)

Could it be hauling furniture from The Sharing Shed to a family in our community? (serving)

As our love for Jesus grows, our hearts for hospitality and serving increase.

There is a forward-facing part of serving and hospitality that is undeniable and very real.

When we serve someone or a group of people, there is a very real and undeniable focus put on you and the same goes for when you show hospitality to someone or a group. As Christians, we are called to go and make disciples of all nations, of anyone that will listen and accept the good news of Jesus and to lead them to following Jesus and his commands. Which means we will be looked at and unfortunately, potentially judged for our actions.

Jesus gave us a new command in John 13 by saying ” we must love one another, like I have loved you…..BY THIS, all people will know you are my DISCIPLES.” – John 13:34 & 35

Then again in John 17, Jesus says ” I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of this world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world…..I do not ask this for these only, but also for those who WILL believe in me through their word, that they may be one just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me….” – John 17:15-21

To James’ point, can we have faith with out works….yes but it doesn’t mean much. On the flip side of that, can we just serve others with out the faith behind it….sure but that also doesn’t mean much because there is nothing attached to the deed. Sure you could be looked at a good person, but in the discourse of salvation, serving to check a box on a to-do list, doesn’t lead to being a disciple of Jesus.

Serving should first and foremost always come from the outpour of love that Jesus has given you and now you attempt to give to others.

As much as bible study and worship and small groups and prayer and silence and solitude are important to your discipleship with Jesus, if we neglect to serve also, then we are missing the whole picture of being a disciple of Jesus.

The question then is, where will you serve to be able to breath the life and love of Jesus out to others?

If you are reading this and are not serving, here is a painted picture worth thinking about:

Here at Harvester Christian Church, there are hundreds of places you can serve…….hundreds really.

Recently I asked just some of the ministries around HCC, what kind of volunteer numbers could they use right now…….150…..Meaning, we could use 150 more people to come and serve the church and the guests that are coming to church each and every week and month.

That number gets even larger when asked what would a dream number of volunteers be….one ministry said 200, another said 270!!

Imagine the kingdom impact we could make as a church if we all took one opportunity to serve in some way….what would it look like, what would it feel like, how would you be used to impact someone else’s life?

Can I challenge you…..take a moment and think about where you would want to serve, just TWO TIMES…what ministry would be it, how would you be serving?

Could it be that you want to help guests find a parking spot with our parking team?

Could it be opening a door for one of our disabled guests that struggle to open the door themselves?

Could it be serving behind the cafe counter helping our guests with some donuts to make the environment of Sunday morning warm and welcoming?

Could it be holding a crying baby until they fall asleep in your arms so that the parents can go and worship?

Could it be leading a small group of 2nd graders to help them understand how much God loves them?

Could it be flipping switches on our tech team in that back where if we didn’t have people, our services wouldn’t happen?

Could it be having conversation with our online guests to welcome them and help them have the best online experience they can?

Could it be helping a new family walk from Guest Central to Kids Check in to help them feel calm and welcomed as they bring their kids to Harvester Kids?

There are so many opportunities for you to step out, in faith, and serve those coming to Harvester Christian Church.

The question is, will you?

If you are interested, let us know or join us for Discover Harvester on June 9th, here is a link – Discover Harvester –

February 27, 2023

in Church, HCC

by Brendon

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GST #1 – FAQ’s & Safety

” I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. ” Romans 12:1-2

Training. Something that I have never enjoyed. It takes time, and energy and sometimes it just doesn’t seem to work out, but for some reason, training is something that we have to do throughout our lives. We train for everything, whether it is a marathon, a test, a trip or an interview. We work on bettering ourselves for whatever the reason may be. Why would it be any different in the church? We should be training whether that it is in the spiritual sense or the physical sense.

We train our minds and hearts as we dive into spiritual disciplines and we train our physical actions when we learn, relearn or review the protocols and practices we need to know. Last Thursday we were able to do just that. A little bit of both. Gathering together is always a good thing. Getting to fellowship with one another and see each other and be a part of each other’s lives outside of a Sunday, is always a good thing to do. But when we are able to couple that with some action training, that makes the night even more impactful.

Below are a few things that we passed out and talked about at the training that I wanted to make available to you. So please take a look, download it and know it! Feel free to reach out and ask any questions you might have:

GS Training #1 with animation. Download

Big Campus map_working2020 Shelter In Place inwork-1[16]

Big Campus map_working2020 Shelter In Place inwork-1[16]Download

February 23, 2023

in Church, HCC, Jesus

by Brendon

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amidst the chaos – Posted on November 9, 2022 by Brendon

” A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her ” Give me a drink.” – John 4:7

Could you just imagine this scene with me for a minute…a woman…in Jesus time being spoken to by a rabbi. Not likely. Jesus asking for a drink by this woman….more not likely. Then the woman in conversation with Jesus, a rabbi, not likely. But yet this is exactly where Jesus wanted to be. This was exactly the person that Jesus wanted to see and talk with. I have a feeling the woman had no thought of someone being at this well when she went. Historically, groups of women would go to the well to draw water together, but not this samaritan woman. She was by herself with no one to accompany her. She was by herself and minding her daily business by getting water.

Yesterday was voting day. It was a crazy scene at Harvester Christian Church. The church serves as a polling site for two precincts. One in our north lobby and one in our south. People were everywhere! People were also confused at which site they were supposed to be. No one was upset or angry, but just confused at where they should be. It reminded me of this moment with Jesus when this woman came near to draw water. As the people yesterday came wondering into the building looking for the civic duty they were about to perform, some of them came into the place that Jesus wanted them to walk in to.

I had the privilege of meeting one of these people yesterday. I have been charged with overseeing the candles for Christmas eve services. Doesn’t sound like much, but when you have a story that will never leave you, it is a big deal. The story is for another time, but as I power walked through the worship center to check on the battery powered candles…..I noticed a woman glancing around the lobby and the building. I could tell that this lady was looking for something, so in my grandest knowledge, I spoke up…..” can i help you?”

” Maybe, are you a member here?”

I was taken back. Not, I don’t know where to go or which precinct is this or where is the bathroom……are you a member here. There was something special about that question. She wasn’t looking for a staff member. She didn’t ask for a pastor. She didn’t ask for anything other than a member.

It struck me in a way that I wasn’t expecting. But then as I thought about it more, it made sense. The woman at the well didn’t ask who Jesus was when he addressed her. She actually never asked him his name. She spoke to him as if he was just asking for a drink. Until she realized he was a rabbi, then she talked to him a little different. What struck me about this lady that asked for a member was, she just wanted to talk to someone that goes to church in that church.

She had a lot to say. I listened to her concerns and how she had moved to the area 8 years ago to take care of her parents that have both unfortunately passed away. But now she was looking for a church to be a part of but she wanted to make sure that she was a part of a church that she could fit in to. That was one that she felt that she could ask questions and be heard and be able to grow in her relationship and understanding of Jesus.

The thing about asking a staff member something, or maybe it is a manager at a restaurant or a lead salesmen at a car dealer…..is more often than not, we have a canned answer. We live in a world where scripts and robots answer our phone calls and attempt to answer our questions. More often than not, we end those conversations being frustrated and our questions still not answered. So what did this lady do…she wanted to get the opinion and the answer to her questions from someone that goes to church.

I was humbled to talk with this woman for about 10 minutes or so as we talked about everything from how the worship service is created to how the old testament is just as important to understand as the new testament. We talked about the length of the service and what she could expect when she came in to encounter Jesus. All questions that anyone that goes to church could answer.

However, when the conversation was over, it struck me just how important and impactful being a member of a church is.

In the midst of the business that surrounded the moment and the day, a woman was looking for a place to encounter Jesus. She just wanted to talk to a member.

What if that was you?

What if you were approached by someone in the midst of your busyness and chaos of the day, would you have stopped?

The amount of chaos and hurry in our lives is sometimes just completely overwhelming. I feel it, almost on a daily basis. We wake up in the morning hurrying to make breakfasts and lunches for the kids to get to school. We have to get ourselves ready at the same time to take the kids to school or to go to work. And we go and go and go all day long until we get home to get the kids from school. Then the fun starts, balancing play time with school work and dinner prep and showers and picking up the house. Then bedtime is always, one more kiss, one more cuddle, one more song, 5 more minutes of reading, bedtime takes too long and you hurry through it to be able to just sit and do nothing. You finally get a chance to sit, then you look at the kitchen with all the dishes and the toys that are still out on the floor that you don’t want to step on in the middle of the night. So by the time you actually get to sit, its time for bed.

Go to sleep. Wake up. Do it all over again.

As much as I know Jesus was where he was on purpose. Jesus demonstrated something in this encounter with this samaritan woman that we need to be aware of……

When we have the chance to talk with someone on how they can encounter Jesus, it is better to stop and be in the moment rather than think about all the things you need to get done.

Being a member or an attendee is more than just going to church and leaving church.

Being a member or an attendee gives you the ability to help others encounter Jesus, wherever you are.

Don’t miss that opportunity because of the busyness and chaos that might be surrounding you.

February 23, 2023

in Church, HCC

by Brendon

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Guest Services is….. Posted on July 27, 2021 by Brendon

” Moses’ father in law replied, ‘ What you are doing is not good. YOu and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it along. Listen now to me and I will give you some afvices, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. But select capable men from all the people……Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can handle themselves. That will make your load lighter because they will share the load with you.” Jethro’s advice to Moses, Ex. 18:17-22

Guest Services is a team.

If you have ever attempted to lead anything, all by yourself, whether you are successful or not, in the end you will be spent. This coming from someone who thrives on being with people and being around people and planning things that will bring people joy and excitement.

However, being in the guest services field, both in ministry and in the business world, guest services is much more than just getting something done. There is more that happens in guest services than meets the eye. On the service level there is all smiles and joy and elation, however on the back end, there is a lot more than meets the eye.

Guest services, like what Moses was working through as he led the Israelites through the wilderness, is full of teams and facets that need to be overseen.

No, not comparing what I oversee to what Moses oversaw, however the idea of leading a team, is something that is incredibly necessary in order to curate a remarkable guest experience, whether in ministry or business.

There are levels of the guest service branch that not everyone sees, whether it is a call center employee, a supervisor, a parking attendant, a golf cart driver, a greeter at an entrance door, or a guest services volunteer at Guest Central. All of these things take a person and a leader to oversee that all that requires of them gets done.

There are 3 things that stick out from both Jethro’s advice and the practicality of guest services that help curate that remarkable guest experience:

Guest Services requires Leaders – with there being so many facets of guest services that need to be overseen, it is too large of a job for one to take on by themselves. It is a team that makes the guest services plan be executed to completion. The one thing that differs from Jethro’s advice, is that in the guest services world, both ministry and business, that women can and should play a vital role in the areas of guest services. Personally, the one that influenced me the most when it comes to staying on task and getting things done, was a female supervisor while in the business world. She taught me how to be organized and how to stay on task even when it seemed like I didn’t have much to do. In ministry, it doesn’t matter if you are male or female, but the ones who can oversee a facet of guest services and execute the expectations of leadership, should be the one leading.
Guest Services requires a goal – when you are leading a team of people, with leaders and volunteers or supervisors and employees, if you do not have a mission that your team can get behind, the guest services area will fail. It may not fail in executing a job requirement or opening a door, but the meaning behind which the requirement is being done will not meet the goal since the mission is not stated clearly and communicated continuously. For Harvester Christian Church, the goal of our Guest Services teams is to create and curate a remarkable guest experience for all guests that come to the building for worship. The goal of a guest services team does not overtake the mission or vision of the church, nor does the goal of an employee overtake the overall mission of the organization, but to accomplish the goal given is incredibly important to the overall mission of the church or organization.
Guest Services requires people – If you have ever worked in a place where it is short staffed or not enough people to fill volunteer roles, it becomes exhausting. Not only for the volunteers or employees that you are leading but for you as the one that is oversee all of the facets of Guest Services. Continually and always recruiting and creating a large pool of people that are willing to do the job required will allow the leaders over each facet be able to accomplish the goal at hand. In the previous role I served, I experienced a tired and overworked office with emotions flying all the time. There was turn over every month it felt when it came to finding people that would apply and not like it or not want to work through the beginning stages of the job. It made the environment constantly tense and nerve racking. Without the people to accomplish the goal, the goal will never be met. The same goes for the church, without the volunteers to accomplish whatever goal is set before the room or team or ministry. To continually be connecting people in to the teams that are needed, is critical for the goal of guest services to be accomplished.

In the words of a former supervisor…” Guest services can and should be the at the center of making the engine run.” Without a great guest services experience, in business or church, people will remember their experience before they remember the cheap price or the great speaker or awesome decor or great music.

The guest service team sets the tone for a person’s overall experience wherever they go.

February 23, 2023

in Church, HCC

by Brendon

0 Comments

A Recap Posted on May 17, 2021 by Brendon

” There will be so many of Gods sons/daughters there today who feel like they don’t belong. You get to be the grace of Jesus in flesh to them!” – Nikomas Perez

Receiving a text message like this on a Sunday morning is such a great reminder and a truth to what First Impressions is, each and every weekend.

First Impressions is so much more than just opening a door, or keeping a table full or helping someone park or driving them to a door.

First Impressions is the starting point and ending of an entire experience.

John 13:34-35 says ” A new command I give you, love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

I love those words from Jesus. They are so true and so meaningful in today’s world. As much as Jesus was teaching the disciples that were with him in the upper room that night when he said these words, Jesus was giving us a new command to follow through with always.

First Impressions is a team that consists of multiple teams under the umbrella of that phrase. The teams consist of parking, golf carts, guest central, greeters, communion, Living Room and Belong. All of these teams combined create the First Impressions umbrella that we all serve under. Each one doing it’s own part and each serving a different function of the whole.

The whole? Is the mission of Harvester Christian Church and hopefully all churches, it may sound different, but to lead people to find and follow Jesus is the mission. That is the whole that First Impressions is a part of. No matter which position you fill or role you play in the umbrella of First Impressions, you are playing a critical role in the mission.

Each weekend there are guests that come to a building whether being for the first time, church shoppers or someone moving into the area looking for a place to be welcomed and loved no matter what.

No where in Jesus’ teachings or life did He say or teach that only certain people would be welcomed to the church. No where did Jesus not help someone that came to him. Jesus was always ready. Jesus was always welcoming and loving to anyone that came near. He teaches and commands the disciples when He was on earth and as He is in Heaven to be ready for any and all that will come and listen to the good news of His life and grace.

The goal of our First Impressions teams, is to create a remarkable guest experience each and every weekend for all guests that come to worship Jesus. Whether it is their first time or their millionth time. Every guest that comes into church should have a remarkable guest experience.

Think of it this way: when we do our part, Jesus will do his.

So what is our part?

Mark 10:45 says “For even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.”

Our part in this whole thing……is to serve.

We have a part in creating a remarkable guest experience by being there. Showing up us one of the hardest things to do in life. Whether it is in church or in life. There are so many obstacles and so many hindrances that can stop us from showing up.

When we show up, Jesus shows up.

Be willing. Be ready. Be part of the whole. Be present.

Our First Impression team has the ability to shape an experience for someone that has never been to church and be able to meet Jesus for the first time.

A great example of this is the experience that you get when you go to Disney world. Everything is immaculate. It is clean, it is organized, it is fun and the memories that are made can last a lifetime. My own kids remember our first trip as a family to Disney World. I remember it like it was last summer but in reality it has been 3 years. We took our 3 year old and 5 year old to Disney for the first time and we last 11.5 hours without one meltdown or fight or argument. We got there early and stayed for the fireworks at Cinderella’s castle.

How did we last that long?

God’s grace…..but really it was the experience that we all received when we went. We were greeted with smiles…before masks….and sent off with a smile. And everything in between was treated with the utmost respect and accuracy.

We may not have face sized rice crispy treats or rides or characters running around in parades.

But what we do have….

Is a God who sent his son to die on a cross to take away our burden of sin and give us eternal life through grace that we do not deserve.

That is worth showing up for and being a part of.

February 23, 2023

in Church, HCC

by Brendon

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We are the Church….even in a pandemic. Posted on July 23, 2020 by Brendon

“The church does not exist for us. We are the church, and we exist for the world.” – Erwin McManus

” Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love……Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen…..Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as in Christ God forgave you. Follow God’s example, therefore as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as an offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 4: 2,29,32 & 5:1,2

The church has become a place of contention. So many thoughts and emotions and experiences that have impacted and formed opinions of every church.

Whether your church home has began gathering again or maybe your church home has suspended in person services for a long time or maybe you are waiting in the midst of confusion of when you will meet again. There is still one truth that lasts throughout the season we are in….

WE ARE THE CHURCH, even during a pandemic.

Serving in youth ministry, for about 8 years, some of that time was internships and schooling, but overall I spent about 8 years of my life serving in youth ministry. One of the things that I remember vividly about youth ministry is realizing that students may or may not have the best homes to help grow their relationship with Jesus outside of the youth ministry setting. Meaning, they would go home to a chaotic mess that would deter them from learning about Jesus. That wasn’t the case for all students and to be honest, the student that had a home that was chaotic were the students I gravitated too.

As I have served with adults over the last 18 months or so, I have learned that sometimes the same things that students are learning, are the things that we need to learn. For instance, the need to walk with Jesus more than just Sunday.

As you read in scripture, over and over again there are a few things that we use to train and remind our volunteers here at Harvester Christian Church when it comes to our guest services on Sundays:

Be Open – Throughout the life of Jesus, we see that He travels all of the country side. He walks in groups, he walks with his disciples, he walks by himself…sometimes on water. But the thing about Jesus, is that when the opportunity presents itself, Jesus was Open to anyone that came near him. Consider the Samaritan Woman at the Well. This woman was someone with a past and well a nasty past as we would learn. Not to mention that she is a woman and in Jesus’ time as a Rabi, He should never have even given her the time to have a conversation. However Jesus stopped, He listened and changed that woman’s life. So much so that the woman went on to the town and changed others lives just by bringing them to Jesus. Sometimes, in guest services, the best thing we can do is be open to having a conversation with someone.
Be on Mission – Leading People to Find and Follow Jesus. That is what we are all about. Everything we do as a church is to lead people to find and follow Jesus. Our Guest Services team is a critical and crucial piece to this mission. Within the team, it means we are training people to smile, be friendly, don’t hide behind doors but be expectant of people. Jesus had mission on this earth. Sure, his mission was a little different than ours, since we don’t have the ability to die on a cross and save every person from their sins, but Jesus was always on mission moving forward toward that Cross and that death that he didn’t deserve but also to the resurrection that changed lives then and continues to do so now.
Love like Jesus – we have all heard the phrase – don’t judge a book by its cover. That is so true with people. Every Sunday, churches are flooded with people of different stories, backgrounds, mornings and jobs and families and jobs. Each of them come with baggage of some kind and we as a guest services team could never know what each and every person walks in the doors of the church with. Knowing that we would never be able to know what each person is carrying, we have to have the same mentality as Jesus and loving each person the way Jesus loved us.

Over the past several weeks, we have re-gathered here at Harvester Christian Church and it has been interesting to say the least. However if there is one thing that does not change even in the crazy season we are in, its the truth that:

We are the church, even in a pandemic.

So when you have the ability to be open to someone, to be on mission and to love like Jesus…..you are being the church.

The church was never designed or created to be a building or a gathering location. The church was designed to go out into the world and share the love of Jesus to anyone who would listen.

When we remember…. whether inside the church walls or inside a living room or on the side of the road….we have the ability to lead people to find and follow Jesus.

February 23, 2023

in Church

by Brendon

0 Comments

To be the most welcoming church anyone can experience

” A new command I give to you; as I have loved you, you must love one another. BY THIS all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – Jesus, John 13:34-35

Guest services is the art of loving people no matter who they are and what there present is and what they might be carrying with them. It is a fine line and gentle line that Guest Services teams balance. On one end, you have the overbearing and the spam like experience. Or you have the opposite end which is essentially no guest service experience at all. Making the above phrase a reality takes time, culture, buy in and execution. Sure it is never easy and it is never going to be perfect.

To Be The Most Welcoming Church Anyone Can Experience, is something worth striving for.

As we see story after story in the Gospels, the over and over Jesus has crowds surrounding him, He experiences people wanting to be close to him. And every time Jesus is surrounded with people, He demonstrates what it means to be welcoming and loving, by showing compassion on them. As a church, we should have the same approach. As we are surrounded by the mixtures of people the we will encounter we should be welcoming and loving just as Jesus was to the crowds around Him. There is a high probability that we as humans are always craving for and desiring to have great experiences also. We could go to a concert and walk away saying that it was an amazing experience. We could go on an adventure and come back with lots of great experiences.

When we are able to combine the two, the experience and being welcoming together, then you have something life changing.

Christmas time around churches are crazy. It is busy. Not only do we have decorations to put out, to-do lists to get done, presents to buy, friends to see, family to have over and maybe even pack to go out of town. But churches are also gearing up for one of the busiest group of services that come all year. Christmas can be seen as the Super Bowl season for churches. In the midst of that busyness, it is hard to balance work and life. It is hard to balance emotions. As we see in scripture, when Jesus was born, it was busy. People were going back to their homes that they may not have been too in a very long time. Inn’s and places to stay were filled to the brim. There was an anxious excitement about seeing family and friends that haven’t been seen in a long time. But what we see is that not only was Jesus born when it was busy, people surrounding the birth of Jesus, had no idea what was going on. As a Guest Services team, this Christmas we have the chance to make a difference in the lives and hearts of guests that come into the churches doors. We have the chance to turn what might be a Christmas and Easter tradition into something that changes the way they look at what a church is. To walk the line of being loving, welcoming, grateful for their presence and to really live out the ‘come as you are’ thoughts. This Christmas, in the midst of the busyness….we have the chance:

To be the most Welcoming Church anyone can experience.

Let’s not miss it.

hospitality Tag

Faith without works, is dead

GST #1 – FAQ’s & Safety

amidst the chaos – Posted on November 9, 2022 by Brendon

Guest Services is….. Posted on July 27, 2021 by Brendon

A Recap Posted on May 17, 2021 by Brendon

We are the Church….even in a pandemic. Posted on July 23, 2020 by Brendon

To be the most welcoming church anyone can experience

From the HCC Outreach Team: