December – hospitality month

For number of years North American Division of the General Conference of our church has designated month of December as Hospitality Month.  The season of homecoming, family reunions, getting together with friends, vacations from school, is an opportunity to welcome people.  Hospitality means warmth, kindness, generosity.  We were reminded of need for hospitality in our church and the sources of it beginning in the family at the mid-week prayer meeting. 

I am thinking of the recent (November 19) first global summit focusing on membership retention.  100 attendees from six continents have gathered at the denomination’s world headquarters for the first time to talk about why we have lost 1 out of 3 members during the past 50 years.  It is not getting better.  In this century, since 2000, the ratio of people lost versus new converts is 43%!

Studies of those who left show that it’s what we do-not-do, rather than what we do or believe that causes the loss of people!  A member of a church board is just as likely to disagree with one of the church’s 28 Fundamental Beliefs as someone who’s been disfellowshiped.

Bottom line – lack of hospitality!  Reasons people drop out of church have less to do with what the church does and its doctrines than with problems people experience in their personal lives—marital conflict or unemployment. What contributes to the problem, is that the church is not helping people through their tough life experiences.

As leaders share practices from different places around the globe it is obvious that the future evangelism efforts should focus on nurturing members.  Using evangelism funds for our own members’ care.

Our leadership team will seriously look at the new direction for Personal Ministry – retention of lost members, connecting with MIA, tracking the disconnected, and engaging all members of church family in caring relationships.

You could contribute to our church spiritual health by being hospitable, warm, loving, caring, especially this season.  Community Services are asking for sponsors to needy families – if you are blessed, bless others. I like how Apostle Paul put’s it into a command: “Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home”  (Romans 12:13)  as you practice hospitality – be sincere about it J, and remember hospitality differs from entertaining, as it focuses on the needs of guests, and not the showing off of the host.