By Danny Franks
The call to Christian hospitality is a call both to the individual and to the church at large. As believers, we are to be welcoming people.
But how does the gathered church welcome guests when our churches are in various stages of gathering and re-gathering, virtual and physical? How does a global pandemic affect our call to care for the outsider?
As I lead our guest services culture in our congregation, I’ve been thinking through the lens of four broad categories—both philosophical and practical:
1. OPINIONS ARE DIVIDED.
This is the most obvious statement of our time, and in any given congregation, there are at least three COVID-related opinions:
- COVID is overblown. “This is an overinflated disease perpetuated by an overhyped media. The church should continue to meet regularly and faithfully.”
- COVID is understated. “This is a real global pandemic and lives are at risk. The church should take every precaution necessary to protect the community.”
- COVID is what the majority says it is. “Opinions and statistics and feelings change from day to day. I trust what my (government / friend / church leadership / social media feed) says I should do.”
I can’t tell you what your opinion (or that of your church) should be. But I can tell you that people who hold to “overblown” or “understated” are really passionate about their opinion.
These people will bring stats and stories to explain why the actions of the church should match their particular opinion, and they’ll question the wisdom of the leadership or the love for the congregation if you don’t align.
Pastors must faithfully shepherd all three groups. That means tough calls have to be made. It means lots of conversations have to be had. It means someone won’t get their way.
It means grace must be shown and spines must be stronger and wisdom must be asked for if all three groups are to feel heard and loved.
2. PROVIDING A “VIRTUAL OPTION” ISN’T OPTIONAL.
In March, all of us were forced to reckon with our online presence. Churches with existing streaming services had to make those services better and accessible by all people rather than a mere subset.
Churches wholly unfamiliar with streaming and social media (“What is this Tweeter you speak of?”) had to work around the clock to connect with their people in new and innovative ways.
But regathering physically doesn’t mean we’re off the hook digitally. There are still large segments of our congregation and community who can’t or won’t venture out into public gatherings.
We can’t leave those people behind in our desire to get back to whatever we define as normal.
So yes, our staff meetings need a Zoom option. Our volunteer trainings need a streaming option. And our weekend online gatherings must provide options to help people take a step towards connection.
Here’s some low-hanging fruit we can all pick:
- Have live moderators for your Facebook and YouTube streams. Their one role is to connect in the comment section, identify those new to your church, and help them take their best next step.
- Tack a simple URL on to your church website. Something like “/welcome” or “/guest.” That page can be a one-stop shop for the most obvious connection points that a first-time guest would be looking for.
- Provide a digital gift in exchange for their information. A worship download or $5 Starbucks card is a simple investment that will allow you to further connect with those new to your congregation.
3. MEET AND GREET (BUT MAINTAIN SIX FEET).
When you’re beginning to regather physically, safety must be a priority. But you can’t just be safe, you have to look like you’re being safe.
I recognize that sounds counterintuitive, as though the thing of actual importance (i.e., being safe) is taking a back seat to appearances.
But our commitment to safety can’t stay behind closed doors in a staff meeting. We shouldn’t rely only on deploying our sanitation elves who magically appear after midnight and do the deep cleaning under the cover of darkness.
Here’s how to keep your safety plan out front:
- Over-communicate and regularly update. There should be one spot on your website for safety plans, and this page should serve as the talking points for stage announcements, social media feeds, and one-on-one conversations with volunteers. As local regulations allow modifications in your plan, update those for public viewing.
- Set expectations before your guests arrive. Have you temporarily suspended family ministry programming? Parents need to know that. Will masks be required? Put it on your list. Will the service format change? Give your people as much of a heads up as possible.
- Consider RSVPs and safety waivers. This may not scale at all levels, but the previous commitments by leadership can be paired with commitments by attendees: Ask the standard questions about their current health status and having them sign off on the assumption of inherent risks will keep your people safe both physically and legally.
- Show off your skills. Now is the time for those aforementioned sanitation elves to shine…literally and figuratively. Deploy your teams to wipe down high-touch surfaces and create touch-free experiences (opening doors for guests, suspending bulletin distribution, etc.). Do this before, during, and after services. Let your cleaning team be seen in action.
- Rethink your norms. Passing the offering plate has always been a bacterial breeding ground, it’s just that now it’s on the minds of more than just germophobes. Offering, communion, baptisms, the “turn and greet your neighbor” times—all of must be dissected in the light of safety. Besides, at least half of your church doesn’t like the “turn and greet” time anyway.)
Like it or not, our first-time guests have added COVID precautions to the list of criteria they’re using to judge our church and their experience. Let’s not fail in this area.
4. “GO AND TELL” MUST ACCOMPANY “COME AND SEE.”
As someone who has been in church hospitality world for the better part of two decades, I believe that the very best guest services models don’t just focus on those guests who come to us. The New Testament puts both go and tell and come and see on display.
But if a pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that our “come and see” environments can be impacted before we know what hit us. The measure of innovative churches in this season is not who can be cool or cutting edge, but who can connect and care.
That’s why we have to double down our efforts to be a church for the community, not just a church in the community.
- We must challenge our members to live sent, caring for their neighbors and providing for the most vulnerable.
- We must provide chances to connect with local ministries, not trying to reinvent the wheel but coming alongside already-existing entities to serve them.
- We must pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal needs in our community, and that we’d have the obedience and courage to meet those needs.
- And we must do all of this not so we can make much of our church or our resources, but to make much of the love of Jesus for the people around us.
Church leaders, never in our lifetime have we faced a leadership challenge like we’re currently facing. Let’s rise to the test, love our people, and help those on the outside feel like there’s a place for them inside.
DANNY FRANKS (@letmebefranks) is the pastor of guest services at The Summit Church and the author of People Are the Mission: How Churches Can Welcome Guests Without Compromising the Gospel.
