Missional Hospitality

I came across this article from the blog, Life Together, called Open the Door of Your Home.

Here is an excerpt from it:

People need to encounter the church as a network of relationships rather than a meeting you attend or a place you enter. … In our experience people are often attracted to the Christian community before they are attracted to the Christian message.

People are looking for a place to belong. And I believe the home provides the best atmosphere for this type of authentic community. Why? Because it’s a place where pretence and perfection can’t live. Unlike the church (building!) it’s too hard to put up your best front at home. Like one pastor said, “You get to know folks when they have spaghetti sauce on the front of their shirt.”

So how do we get started in opening the doors of our homes to others? Alexander Strauch gives these helpful guidelines:

• Set a regular time each week/month to invite people to your home
• Make a list of people who would be encouraged by your offer of hospitality
• Remember to invite people to your home during holiday seasons — especially those who rarely receive an invitation and cannot repay you (Luke 14:13)

I thought this was something worth thinking about in light of our Missional living sermon series at Church.