When we think about church and hospitality, we often think about greeters and welcome teams. That is certainly an important part of the hospitality that we want to show to one another as the body of Christ and to those outside the church.
When I talked to Alvin Ram from Oak Park Church (Calgary, AB), I saw another form of hospitality. Oak Park Church recently went through a big renovation. Lane Scruggs (lead pastor) and the architect were very mindful of the construction in terms of hospitality. Their intentionality around certain aspects of the building display a sense of welcome.
For instance, the front of their church has alot of windows. When you drive by at night and the lights are on, you can see right through to the lobby. There’s chairs and a fireplace. It looks inviting. It looks like home. They’ve had people from the neighbourhood say, “We’ve driven by lots of times. We wanted to come and see what was going on here.”
Oak Park even sees their website and use of graphics as a form of hospitality. Their online magazine which is available to everyone highlights what’s going on at the church and tells stories of God at work in people’s lives. It explains who they are and what they do.
Alvin and others are in the midst of figuring out how to move people from guests to members. So they’re building some plans and processes that allow people to feel at home and get more connected. They want people to have a sense of belonging and to be able to contribute according to their gifts. They want people to deepen their faith and nurture a closer connection with God.
Alvin says all of this requires a reliance on the Spirit. Instead of just making plans and asking God to bless them, he’s praying through it all and listening for the Spirit.
Oak Park Church wants the hospitality they extend to be a picture of the hospitality that God extends to us. It’s another way of being missional.