We recently had a Greeters, Ushers and Welcome Center Staff Team Meeting and used some material from Greg Atkinson’s Book, Hospitality Ministry. These are some of the quotes and questions we shared from this great book.
1. Why do we want people to feel comfortable and welcome in our church?
2. “When guests return for a second look, you’ve won eighty percent of the battle of gaining new regular attenders and have drastically increased the chances that they will begin a journey with Jesus.” – Nelson Searcy
3. The mindset of preparing for company. As hospitality team members and folks who call our church home, we have authority and obligation to make things look great and take of little things to make it better.
4. “We don’t know where our first impressions come from or precisely what they mean, so we don’t always appreciate their fragility.”– Malcolm Gladwell
5. Your ministry is about people. The hospitality team influences the whole church culture through putting people first and creating an atmosphere of welcome.
6. When guest come into a church for the first time, they are filled with tons of emotions—from fear, anxiety and skepticism or something smaller. In some ways, they are looking for reasons not to return. Something as small as a greeter not smiling at them can cause them to never return.
7. “The hospitality team must remove every possible obstacle from the path of disinterested or suspicious unchurched guests. The parking lot, hallway, entryways, and worship spaces should be obstacle-free zones!” – Andy Stanley
8. “Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place.” Henri Nowan
Questions For Discussion
1. Why am I on the hospitality team?
2. Can I articulate the church mission and values?
3. What are two things I can do to immediately improve my service in the hospitality ministry in our church?
4. Tell about a recent (or maybe not so recent, but memorable) time where your experienced amazing hospitality in a restaurant, hotel, theme park or some other commercial establishment. How could our church provide a similar experience for guests?