This is a post I wrote for our churches Leadership Blog about hosting the Leadership Summit back in August which was titled “The Power of Hospitality.”  It’s not just about that event, but the possibility of what church could look like if we were as intentional with our lobby and parking lot as we were with our services…

Last week was a little different around here at River Valley Church.  We had the privilege to host the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit.  Over 500 business and ministry leaders from all over the south metro came to be inspired by world-class leadership teaching. Though it is something I look forward to every year, this isn’t my first Leadership Summit. The difference this year, for me, started during our early morning prep to meet with our amazing River Valley LifeTeam volunteers…the people who would welcome and host the hundreds of guests about to walk through our church doors. Something significant occurred to me: What would happen – what could happen – if these business leaders were so impacted by simply experiencing our team’s hospitality, that it changed the way they ran their companies? What kind of impact could we make? How far-reaching could that hospitality be?

Horst Schulze, former CEO of Ritz-Carlton, spoke about customer service as a way to develop customer loyalty. The Disney Institute created a phrase called Guestology for market research on how to discover and serve customers…but wasn’t it Jesus who first said, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…”?  (Matt. 20:28)  Why would we as the Church not lead the way in hospitality – something the very Person we model our lives after commanded and lived out?!?

The difference is the mindset of “coming to church” as opposed to “being the church.”  Some believers come to church.  They enjoy the environment, the music, the friends, even the teaching. And while they will even claim it church as “their church,” it’s just a stop in their weekly routine like the gym or the grocery store. Then on the other side of that coin are those who have decided to “be the church.”  For these people, church isn’t just something to meet their needs.  It is something to be a part of, to meet the needs of others.  And those of us who have committed to this lifestyle realize that by serving others, so many of our own needs are met!

And here’s the kicker: why do you think places like Disney and Ritz-Carlton want you to have the best possible experience at their establishments?  So you will come back!  And when you come back, you spend more money.  Then you tell your friends and they come back and bring their kids. Because of your great experience and personal advertising, customer loyalty has been developed…so that anytime you are ready to spend money for vacation, they are the first place on your mind.  That’s not wrong, that’s good business!  Now, how much more focused should we be as the Church, when it’s not someone’s vacation dollars we care about, but their entire eternity!?! We cannot let people walk through the doors of our churches and get all the way to their seats, and just passively hope that the music or the message gets to them.  We have to – we get to step up and BE THE CHURCH from the moment they drive onto our property!

The name Christian means “Christ-like.”  Christ came to serve, not to be served.  So let’s show the world what true servanthood and hospitality is really like! When people walk out of church changed, they’ll change their world!