Hospitality is Key to Our Success…and We’re Pretty Good at It
PLC Core Value #4 | Pastor Sean Kelly
Church should feel less like going to a performance and more like a family reunion (minus the mystery Jell-O salad and awkward socks/sandals combination). But here’s the thing: family reunions only work when everyone feels like family.
While I think we do a solid job of welcoming people at PLC, we’ve still got room to grow. A lot of room.
Let’s be honest. We’re good at smiles and handshakes. We’ve got greeters at the doors and folks who’ll offer you coffee faster than you can say “Lutheran blend.” We’ve got people who host dinners, lead groups, and offer prayer with compassion. There’s genuine warmth in this place.
But sometimes, even in a room full of warmth, people can feel cold.
Sometimes someone is sitting nearby who’s still waiting for a real “hello” and waiting to be noticed. There’s someone who’s come for weeks (or even years!) and has never had a deep conversation…never been invited to lunch…never been called by name. Not because we’re unkind…just because we got comfortable.
We get used to our people. Our circle. Our row. And we don’t always see the person sitting by themselves, scanning the room, hoping someone might notice.
That’s where GOOD hospitality ends and GREAT hospitality begins.
Great hospitality sees the one on the margins. It walks across the room. It makes space at the table…and in our lives. It doesn’t wait for someone else to do the inviting. It doesn’t assume someone else will follow up.
In Romans 12, Paul tells us to “practice hospitality.” That word “practice” matters. You practice something because it doesn’t come naturally. You practice because you want to get better. We are called to actively, repeatedly, and intentionally become people who make others feel like they belong.
That’s not just for extroverts or welcome teams. It’s for all of us. If you follow Jesus, then you are called to welcome others the way He welcomed you.
So here’s the challenge. This Sunday:
Sit somewhere different.
Say hello to someone you don’t know.
Ask someone their name. Remember it next week.
Invite someone to join you for tacos, coffee, or a walk around the block.
And don’t just do it once. Practice it. Do it again the following Sunday…and then the Sunday after that…and again…and again.
The Gospel moves fastest on the rails of genuine community. Not surface-level friendliness. Not polite distance. But real, warm, Jesus-shaped welcome.
We’re already pretty good at this. But imagine what could happen if we got great!
I’ll conclude with a brief word to anyone reading this and shouting “Amen! I’ve felt like that invisible person for years!” Let your challenge be this: move outside your comfort zone and introduce yourself to someone you’ve seen for weeks (maybe even years!). You just might be the first person who makes them feel like they belong.
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