How can your church welcome visitors in a way that delights them and lets them know they matter? In this episode we speak with Debi Nixon of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection about the essential Christian practice of Hospitality.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Is your church ready to roll out the holiday welcome mat? Ann Michel offers seven suggestions for helping people meet Christ anew this Christmas. Equip your congregation so that visitors are warmly welcomed online and in person this holiday season. This article was originally published on November 29, 2022. This article is also available in| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Phil Maynard says that the typical greeting time during a worship service encourages people to shake a lot of hands rather than really engaging someone new. He offers simple strategies and conversation starters to encourage deeper connections. In a typical greeting time during worship, people are encouraged to turn to their neighbors and welcome them| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Preaching in a different church almost every Sunday, Nancy Taylor learned firsthand how often visitors go unnoticed even in churches that see themselves as “friendly.” Christian hospitality, she writes, requires that we mind the doors of our churches not as gatekeepers but as disciples charged with oiling the hinges so that they swing open easily.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Yvonne Gentile and Debi Nixon believe radical hospitality means going beyond mere friendliness to surprise and delight church visitors. Three keys are letting guests know they are noticed, paying attention to their needs, and consistently following up after their visit. What does exceptional hospitality look like in practice? Radical hospitality is hospitality that goes beyond| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Learn best practices your church can use to increase in-person and online worship attendance. For most congregations, attracting new people was a challenge even before the pandemic. Now, churches must focus not only on the continuing need to reach new people but also on reconnecting with the sizable percentage of those who attended regularly before| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Pastor Molly Phinney Baskette invites you to see your building through the eyes of a newcomer, noting what’s confusing or unattractive, and identifying ways to make your building more welcoming.| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Are there folks in your church who got out of the habit of attending during the pandemic and haven’t returned yet? Rebekah Simon-Peter says that one sincere, guilt-free invitation might be all that is needed to get them back. The common wisdom is that a church only has three weeks to connect with people who| Lewis Center for Church Leadership - Advancing the knowledge and practice of ...
Delivered every Wednesday, our free e-newsletter Leading Ideas offers articles by thoughtful, cutting-edge leaders on subjects you care about — navigating change, reaching younger people, financing your ministry, communicating effectively — to help you be the leader God is calling you to be. The Lewis Center is committed to helping congregations and denominations thrive and grow by providing ideas, research, resources, and training for vital and fruitful leadership. Through Leading Ideas,...| Lewis Center for Church Leadership
