Study: Welcoming Congregation – Week 7

Sep 21, 2016

WEEK 7 – September 27, 2016

PART 2: The Fruits of Hospitality

CHAPTER 7: Outreach

STUDY NOTES

Best Practices: Don’t Curb Your Enthusiasm

      Enthusiasm is viral – if your church members show is, others will catch it.

Church members should be prepared to explain to strangers about what makes their congregation special.

Be creative about finding ways to reach out to your community – and talk about those ministries.

 

Best Practices: Outreach

 It is often easier to invite people to your home than to your church, making home-based outreach an excellent way to practice hospitality.

As a church, be sure you are expending as many resources toward outreach as you are toward preserving your building, your traditions, or your administration.

Plan your outreach based on the actual needs of your neighborhood and community, not just on what other congregations are doing.

Don’t feel you have to reinvent the wheel. One way that churches can practice outreach is by hosting meetings of established organizations such as AA that provide the ministry but need institutional support and a safe place to hold meetings.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is home-based hospitality an excellent place to do out-reach?

  2. What are some ways that your church might elevate religious mission above institutional maintenance and practice out-ward-focused hospitality?

  3. How is your church using its building to serve a world in need? What more could it do in the area of outreach?

  4. What would it mean to show hospitality in the following areas:

    1. home

    2. church

    3. workplace

    4. community?

  5. In what ways does the practice of hospitality to outsiders lead to a stronger connection to Jesus and God?

Action Plan:

Gather a group of church members to discuss what the fruit of outreach should look like in your particular location and theological tradition. Realize that you cannot do everything. Choose three things that you would like to do in the n ext year. Pick a project that will challenge members to invite people to something that they are passionate about. Devise a program that will include home-based groups. Plan an out-reach effort that will serve the world around you in a new way and help you to make connections with your needy neighbors. Establish an outreach program that will involve gathering members and guests around tables for food and conversation,

SEE ALL PUBLISHED STUDY NOTES