We asked Summit Connections pastor Danny Franks to teach us why and how the Summit goes to great lengths to create a welcoming atmosphere for its guests. you can find more from Danny at his blog and you can follow him on twitter @letmebefranks.

In the last post, we talked about the biblical command towards hospitality. Today, we’ll tackle the fact that many churches thumb their collective noses at that mandate.

I’ve spoken at, trained with, and consulted for thousands…um, hundreds…okay, dozens of churches that want to up their guest services game.  One of the most common push backs I receive from church members and staff is, “But we’re already a friendly church!”

And I would totally agree with that.  But there is a difference between friendly and intentional.  On Sunday mornings, I’m one of the friendliest people at the Summit…to my friends.  But to not-yet-friends, I have to be intentional.  I have to break out of my shell, muster up some courage, and walk up and say hello.  That’s intentional.

When God instructed the Israelites to show hospitality to outsiders, they had to formally step into the process.  When Paul encouraged New Testament believers to show hospitality, it was most often in a context that included strangers, not friends.  In the same way, I believe that first impressions in a modern day church doesn’t just happen…we have to plan for it.

Here are a few key principles that we abide by here at the Summit:

1. Why, not what.  I want our people to understand the reason behind why we welcome guests, not necessarily the 17-step process to make a guest feel welcome.  If you can figure out the why, the what usually comes naturally.
2. Think like a guest.  Just as the Israelites knew what it was like to be strangers in a foreign land, so must we view the weekend experience through a fresh set of eyes…the same way our guests do.
3. Strive for excellence. While we believe in the “good enough” principle, we try not to skimp when it comes to our first timers.  We honor them by treating them well.
4. Go the extra mile.  This includes literally walking with a guest to get them to a location (not simply pointing them there), making sure their questions are fully answered, connecting them to the most helpful resources, even inviting them out for coffee or lunch.
5. Small, measurable next steps. We have to remember that when a guest checks out our church, it’s like a first date.  You don’t name your kids on a first date.  From the very first Sunday, we treat guests to a series of hand-offs so there’s no confusion as to what’s coming next, and no frustration that we’re smothering them.

Over the years, we’ve massaged these principles and changed a tremendous number of methods we use to make guests feel at home.  The bottom line is that we remember that hospitality is not optional, it’s commanded.  The way we love our guests can have a real effect on the way they respond to the gospel.

We asked Summit Connections pastor Danny Franks to teach us why and how the Summit goes to great lengths to create a welcoming atmosphere for its guests. You can find more from Danny at his blog and you can follow him on twitter @letmebefranks.

Random blog reader: “Hey! New author! I wonder if he always makes up words in order to make his titles rhyme?”

New author: “Don’t judge me.  You’re the one sitting in front of your computer talking to yourself.”

Equip General Editor Spence Shelton has asked me to write about the theology of First Impressions, which I appreciate because it makes it appear that what I do is almost legitimate.  If you’re in the ministry and can’t come up with a theology of why you do something, then you should get out of the ministry.  Or at least write a theologically soft, major best-selling book with promotional tie-ins such as accompanying devotionals, journals, and wall art.

Oh, and salt and pepper shakers if you can swing it.

Here at the Summit, we believe strongly in the power of the first impression.  Our goal is not just to have a bunch of new visitors on the weekend, but to welcome guests into our family.  In this post, I’ll explain how guestology theology is a biblical concept, and in the next post we’ll toss some flesh on this skeleton so you can see how it works on a practical level.

First, the Old Testament.  God commands the wandering Israelites to practice hospitality with strangers: “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Lev. 19:33-34)  The Israelites knew what it was like to be the new guy in town.  They knew how it felt to be disliked, ignored, mistreated, and misunderstood.  In God’s wisdom, he challenged them to forever remember the feeling of being an outsider, and to use that emotion to bring outsiders in.

In the New Testament, Paul continues the metanarrative of hospitality throughout the epistles.  Here’s just a sampling…

•    Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. (Rom. 12:13)
•    Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1 Pet. 4:9)
•    Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Heb. 13:1)

The point of these passages should be self-explanatory, so as a pastor, let me explain it to you: God wants us to care about people.  A church that is only concerned about those in the church is not a church at all, but a social club.  There are far too many churches where you have to crack the code or know the language or master the secret handshake in order to feel like you belong.  But the New Testament church was one of openness, love, and sincere hospitality for the stranger.

Alexander Strauch says that hospitality is the launching pad for the gospel.  It is through our love that people often experience God’s love for the first time.  In the next post, we’ll talk about what that looks like on a typical weekend at the Summit

Guest Blogger: Jeremy Pollard, Summit Kids Pastor. We asked him to write on what God taught him through a tragic event in his life a couple of years ago. His answer, the power of prayer.

We never understood the power of prayer and the fact that it could change things until we couldn’t pray for ourselves.  In August of 2007, our family was involved in a head-on collision that nearly took our lives.  We were headed to church when a 19 year old crossed the yellow line and hit us travelling at about 55 mph.  Stephen, who was 16 months old at the time, was knocked unconscious and sat lifeless in his carseat as we waited for medical help to arrive.  By God’s grace, a nurse who had seen the wreck stopped, took Stephen to the side of the road, and performed CPR.  After what seemed like an eternity, he began breathing again and was rushed to the hospital.  Once the paramedics and firemen arrived, Tiffany and I were cut out of the car and taken by ambulance to the same hospital as Stephen.  That night, as we lay in the Emergency Room, the waiting area became a sanctuary, a place of prayer.  Students and their parents, who we had given our lives in ministry to, along with family and friends all crowded in the ER and began begging God to spare our lives.

Early the next morning, I was taken into emergency surgery where a rod was placed in both of my upper legs to replace broken femurs.  Tiffany also had surgery that morning on a broken femur and exploratory surgery that revealed a torn intestine, 3 broken ribs, and a broken sternum.  We were both placed in the ICU with one bed between us.  The next day, Tiffany woke up and was amazed to find out that Stephen was going to be released from the hospital in the next few days.  Not long after, however, the Dr. came back in to inform her that after further tests, Stephen was more severely injured than they had originally thought.  Every ligament connecting his skull to his vertebrae had been torn.  A serious surgery would have to be done, and Stephen would lay in an induced coma in the PICU until then. During this time of uncertainty, I could not pray as Tiffany and others were doing on a nonstop basis.

After surgery, my body developed fat embolism syndrome and shut down.  I lay in a coma for 13 days and had a 33% chance of surviving and living a normal life in the future.  I was completely reliant on others’ prayers although I didn’t know it at the time.  After nearly 2 weeks in the hospital, Tiffany was released and moved into the Ronald McDonald House.  In addition to the first surgery, she also had a metal plate surgically placed into both her ankle and wrist.  She also miscarried our second child during this time.  Stephen successfully had his neck surgery where a metal plate, 7 screws, and one of his ribs were put into the back of his neck.  He wore a neck brace for awhile but was released from the hospital after 4 weeks.  After many ups and downs, I woke up from my coma and had 2 additional surgeries where a metal plate was put into my arm and my heel was reconstructed.  I also had a broken ankle.  After 4 weeks, I too was released from the hospital and went home.

Was this an easy time in our family’s life?  I can emphatically say no.  Did we experience God’s hand and see the power of prayer more than ever before?  I can emphatically say yes.  No, we couldn’t pray for ourselves, but others could.  And I firmly believe their prayers had the power to change things and make a difference in our lives.