Enhancing Your Hospitality If Starbuck’s Can Do It, Why Can’t We?

Becoming The Third Place  “First place” - our Home  “Second place” - our workplace  “Third place” - wherever we go to find ‘community’

Becoming the Third place  Starbuck’s wants to be the “third place” for its customers  Traditionally, the “third place” was always the church, the pub or general store.

Characteristics of the Third Place Neutral territory Neutral territory Inclusive and promotes social activity Inclusive and promotes social activity Ever notice how easy it is to interact with others at Starbuck’s? Ever notice how easy it is to interact with others at Starbuck’s? Conversation is the central activity Conversation is the central activity Has “regulars” who welcome “newcomers” Has “regulars” who welcome “newcomers” Is homey and non-pretentious Is homey and non-pretentious Fosters a playful mood Fosters a playful mood

Is Church a Third Place? Church used to be a third place of choice, a meeting house, a sacred space where community gathered for governing, for mourning, for celebrating, for relationship building. Church used to be a third place of choice, a meeting house, a sacred space where community gathered for governing, for mourning, for celebrating, for relationship building. But churches increasingly became not relational space but propositional space. But churches increasingly became not relational space but propositional space. Continued…

Is Church a Third Place? Instead of going there to connect with God and with others in meaningful relationship, people started going to church to be convinced of a transcendent truth:, or, if they already numbered among the convinced, to have their beliefs and religious convictions confirmed from the pulpit. Leonard Sweet, The Gospel According to Starbuck’s

We Must Regain Third Place We need to be The Place where people get connected with God and each other We offer life-giving, life affirming community in being the Body of Christ We offer life-giving, life affirming community in being the Body of Christ Most Episcopal Churches offer free coffee, and sometimes it’s even Starbuck’s! Most Episcopal Churches offer free coffee, and sometimes it’s even Starbuck’s!

How do we stack up in the six values of a “third place”?

Are we a Third Place? Are we neutral ground? Are we neutral ground? Can anyone feel welcome in our church? Really? Can anyone feel welcome in our church? Really? Are we inclusive and supportive of social activity? Are we inclusive and supportive of social activity? Do we invite others to our functions? Do we invite others to our functions? To Bible study or Adult formation classes? Youth? To Bible study or Adult formation classes? Youth? Is conversation the central activity? Is conversation the central activity? Do we talk to others, really talk with them? Do we talk to others, really talk with them?

Are we a Third Place? Do our “regulars” welcome “newcomers”? Do our “regulars” welcome “newcomers”? The Al Hipp method The Al Hipp method How welcome would a person feel the second or third or fourth week of visiting? How welcome would a person feel the second or third or fourth week of visiting? Non-pretentious and homey? Non-pretentious and homey? Our church? Our church? Do we foster a playful mood? Do we foster a playful mood? The church that plays together, stays together The church that plays together, stays together

How to enhance your hospitality to newcomers  Help “regulars” learn and understand what it feels like to be a visitor  Teach people to introduce themselves  Al Hipp method or something like it…  Educate your Ushers & Greeters and help them welcome people grace-fully  Always, always, always introduce a visitor to someone else, and keep the introductions going

Other ways to enhance your hospitality to newcomers Consider a hospitality audit of your church: How easy is it to find ________? Consider a hospitality audit of your church: How easy is it to find ________? Evaluate your signs and boards and keep them informative and up-to-date Evaluate your signs and boards and keep them informative and up-to-date Always, always take a visitor to find the information they seek—no pointing! Always, always take a visitor to find the information they seek—no pointing! If possible, send a card or letter to thank people for visiting and invite a return If possible, send a card or letter to thank people for visiting and invite a return

Tell Your Hospitality Story! Our mission statement: Building Christ-centered community by praying, learning, giving and serving.

What’s Working for your Newcomers? Share a Hospitality story with someone on your right or left Share a few best examples with the group Any questions?

Resources (all available at amazon.com) A Christian View of Hospitality: Expecting Surprises, by Michele Hershberger A Christian View of Hospitality: Expecting Surprises, by Michele Hershberger WELCOME! Tools and Techniques for New Member Ministry, by Andrew Weeks of The Alban Institute WELCOME! Tools and Techniques for New Member Ministry, by Andrew Weeks of The Alban Institute The Inviting Church: a study of new member assimilation, by Roy Oswald and Speed Leas, The Alban Institute The Inviting Church: a study of new member assimilation, by Roy Oswald and Speed Leas, The Alban Institute

Last but not least… Thank you!

Closing Prayer Save us, O Lord, as your people, from being inward-looking and backward-looking in the work of the church. Help us take our eyes off ourselves and turn them on the world around us. Remind us to be concerned less with what we have accomplished or where we have failed and more with what remains to be done.

Closing Prayer So that with our vision enlarged and our love rekindled, we may go forward to attempt new and greater endeavors to reflect your glory. All this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Your Evaluation, Please! YOU can help us to make Stewardship University even more effective for future participants; please invest some energy and a few minutes to complete your eval- uation and leave it with your presenter. YOU can help us to make Stewardship University even more effective for future participants; please invest some energy and a few minutes to complete your eval- uation and leave it with your presenter. Thank you for coming today, have a SAFE TRIP HOME and have a great week! Thank you for coming today, have a SAFE TRIP HOME and have a great week!

Changes: Changes: Sl2: centered text; removed words; added space Sl3: moved text down to clear graphic Sl4: tweaked text Sl5&6: reformatted for easier reading Sl7: needed 1 st bullet to be ‘why’ header; added logo Sl8: added logo Sl9: bullet 2 needed a verb Sl10& sl14: increased vertical spacing Sl15: corrected amazon Sl17: split to make it readable Sl19: revised text Questions: 1. Why text color yellow on first few, then white? 2. Why headers white, then gray, then yellow? 3. On sl8, you say “six values”, yet have 7 bullets on next 2 slides? 4. Why does header font change on sl11? And text font on sl 12? 5. Why so many background changes?