Enhancing Your Hospitality

If Starbuck’s Can Do It, Why Can’t We?

Becoming The Third Place

“First place” - our Home

“Second place” - our workplace

“Third place” - wherever we go to find ‘community’

Becoming the Third place

Starbuck’s wants to be the “third place” for its customers

Traditionally, the “third place” was always the church, the pub or general store.

Characteristics of the Third PlaceCharacteristics of the Third Place

Neutral territoryNeutral territory Inclusive and promotes social activityInclusive and promotes social activity

Ever notice how easy it is to interactEver notice how easy it is to interact with others at Starbuck’s? with others at Starbuck’s?

Conversation is the central activityConversation is the central activityHas “regulars” who welcome “newcomers”Has “regulars” who welcome “newcomers” Is homey and non-pretentiousIs homey and non-pretentiousFosters a playful moodFosters a playful mood

Is Church a Third Place?Is Church a Third Place?

Church used to be a third place of Church used to be a third place of choice, a meeting house, a sacred choice, a meeting house, a sacred space where community gathered for space where community gathered for governing, for mourning, for celebrating, governing, for mourning, for celebrating, for relationship building. for relationship building.

But churches increasingly became not But churches increasingly became not relational space but propositional space.relational space but propositional space.

ContinuedContinued……

Is Church a Third Place?Is Church a Third Place?

Instead of going there to connect with Instead of going there to connect with God and with others in meaningful God and with others in meaningful relationship, people started going to relationship, people started going to church to be convinced of a church to be convinced of a transcendent truth:, or,transcendent truth:, or,if they already numbered among the if they already numbered among the convinced, to have their beliefs and convinced, to have their beliefs and religious convictions confirmed from the religious convictions confirmed from the pulpit.pulpit.

Leonard Sweet, Leonard Sweet, The Gospel According to Starbuck’sThe Gospel According to Starbuck’s

We Must Regain Third PlaceWe Must Regain Third Place

We need to be The Place whereWe need to be The Place wherepeople get connected withpeople get connected with God and each other God and each other

We offer life-giving, life affirming We offer life-giving, life affirming community in being the Body of Christcommunity in being the Body of Christ

Most Episcopal Churches offer Most Episcopal Churches offer freefree coffee, and sometimes it’s even coffee, and sometimes it’s even Starbuck’s!Starbuck’s!

How do we stack up How do we stack up in the six values of a in the six values of a

“third place”?“third place”?

Are we a Third Place?Are we a Third Place?

Are we neutral ground? Are we neutral ground? Can Can anyoneanyone feel welcome in our church? Really? feel welcome in our church? Really?

Are we inclusive and supportive of social activity?Are we inclusive and supportive of social activity?

Do we invite others to our functions? Do we invite others to our functions? To Bible study or Adult formation classes? Youth?To Bible study or Adult formation classes? Youth?

Is conversation the central activity? Is conversation the central activity? Do we talk to others, really talk with them?Do we talk to others, really talk with them?

Are we a Third Place?Are we a Third Place?

Do our “regulars” welcome “newcomers”?Do our “regulars” welcome “newcomers”?

The Al Hipp methodThe Al Hipp method

How welcome would a person feel the How welcome would a person feel the second or third or fourth week of visiting?second or third or fourth week of visiting?

Non-pretentious and homey? Non-pretentious and homey?

OurOur church? church?

Do we foster a playful mood?Do we foster a playful mood?

The church that The church that playsplays together, stays together together, stays together

How to enhance your hospitality to newcomers

Help “regulars” learn and understand what it feels like to be a visitor

Teach people to introduce themselves Al Hipp method or something like it…

Educate your Ushers & Greeters and help them welcome people grace-fully

Always, always, always introduce a visitor to someone else, and keep the introductions going

Other ways to enhance your Other ways to enhance your hospitality to newcomershospitality to newcomers

Consider a hospitality audit of your Consider a hospitality audit of your church: How easy is it to find ________?church: How easy is it to find ________?

Evaluate your signs and boards and keep Evaluate your signs and boards and keep them informative and up-to-datethem informative and up-to-date

Always, always take a visitor to find the Always, always take a visitor to find the information they seek—no pointing!information they seek—no pointing!

If possible, send a card or letter to thank If possible, send a card or letter to thank people for visiting and invite a returnpeople for visiting and invite a return

Tell Your Hospitality Story!

Our mission statement:

Building Christ-centered community by praying,

learning, giving and serving.

What’s Working for What’s Working for youryour Newcomers?Newcomers?

Share a Hospitality story with Share a Hospitality story with someone on your right or leftsomeone on your right or left

Share a few best examples Share a few best examples with the groupwith the group

Any questions?Any questions?

ResourcesResources(all available at amazon.com)(all available at amazon.com)

A Christian View of HospitalityA Christian View of Hospitality: Expecting : Expecting Surprises, by Michele HershbergerSurprises, by Michele Hershberger

WELCOME!WELCOME! Tools and Techniques for New Tools and Techniques for NewMember Ministry,Member Ministry, by Andrew Weeks of by Andrew Weeks of www.Magnetic-Church.com, The Alban Institutewww.Magnetic-Church.com, The Alban Institute

The Inviting Church: The Inviting Church: a study of new member a study of new member assimilationassimilation, by Roy Oswald and Speed Leas,, by Roy Oswald and Speed Leas,The Alban InstituteThe Alban Institute

Last but not least…Last but not least…

Thank you!Thank you!

Closing PrayerClosing Prayer

Save us, O Lord, as your people, from being Save us, O Lord, as your people, from being inward-looking and backward-looking ininward-looking and backward-looking inthe work of the church. the work of the church.

Help us take our eyes off ourselves and turn Help us take our eyes off ourselves and turn them on the world around us.them on the world around us.

Remind us to be concerned less with what we Remind us to be concerned less with what we have accomplished or where we have failed have accomplished or where we have failed and more with what remains to be done.and more with what remains to be done.

Closing PrayerClosing Prayer

So that with our vision enlarged and our love So that with our vision enlarged and our love rekindled, we may go forward to attempt rekindled, we may go forward to attempt new and greater endeavors to reflect your new and greater endeavors to reflect your glory.glory.

All this we ask in the name of All this we ask in the name of

Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus Christ our Lord. AmenAmen..

Your Evaluation, Please!Your Evaluation, Please!

YOU can help us to make Stewardship YOU can help us to make Stewardship University even more effective for future University even more effective for future participants; please invest some energy participants; please invest some energy and a few minutes to complete your eval-and a few minutes to complete your eval-uation and leave it with your presenter.uation and leave it with your presenter.

Thank you for coming today, have a SAFE Thank you for coming today, have a SAFE TRIP HOME and have a great week!TRIP HOME and have a great week!

Changes:Changes:

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Questions:Questions:

1. Why text color yellow on first few, then white?1. Why text color yellow on first few, then white?

2. Why headers white, then gray, then yellow?2. Why headers white, then gray, then yellow?

3. On sl8, you say “six values”, yet have 7 bullets on next 2 slides?3. On sl8, you say “six values”, yet have 7 bullets on next 2 slides?

4. Why does header font change on sl11? And text font on sl 12?4. Why does header font change on sl11? And text font on sl 12?

5. Why so many background changes?5. Why so many background changes?