Value #4: Warm Hospitality
A Word to Our Congregation from Our Senior Pastor
The values of a church are more than words printed on a page. They describe the kind of people we are prayerfully becoming together. The five devotionals I’ve written for this week invite every member of St. Andrew United Methodist Church to reflect on the convictions that guide our shared ministry.
These values of our church are:
Excellence in Ministry
Primacy of Scripture
Generous Outreach
Warm Hospitality
Thoughtful Innovation
Each new day should begin with Scripture, draw wisdom from history, and then turn our efforts toward fulfilling our shared calling at St. Andrew UMC to grow our church. Our shared purpose is not simply to admire these values but to put them into practice. As we offer God our best, root ourselves in the Bible, give of ourselves generously, welcome others warmly, and remain open to faithful new approaches to ministry, we make room for Christ to work through us and grow God’s kingdom here on earth.
May these devotionals strengthen our unity, enlarge our vision, and inspire each of us to take a faithful step forward. God has already blessed St. Andrew UMC with a rich heritage and many devoted people. Together, by God’s grace, we can build upon that foundation and move confidently into the future God is preparing for us.
Blessings,
Pastor Geoff
Value #4: Warm Hospitality
Making Room at the Table
"Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.” Romans 12:13, NRSV
Hospitality is more than friendliness. Friendliness smiles at people when they arrive; hospitality prepares for them before they come. Friendliness says, “We are glad you are here.” Hospitality also asks, “What would help you feel safe, valued, and at home?”
The apostle Paul places hospitality among the marks of genuine Christian love. In Scripture, welcoming the stranger is not optional decoration for a church with outgoing members. It is a practice through which God’s love becomes tangible. Christian hospitality pays attention. It notices the person standing alone, the family searching for the nursery, the guest uncertain about where to sit, and the longtime member whose absence has gone unnoticed.
Methodist history offers a warm example of hospitality becoming ministry. During the winter of 1711–1712, while her husband Samuel was away from Epworth, Susanna Wesley began holding Sunday-evening devotions in the family rectory. What started as worship for her household soon attracted neighbors who were hungry for Scripture, prayer, and encouragement. The gathering continued to grow until, according to Methodist historical accounts, around two hundred people assembled at the rectory to listen to Susanna teach and pray. The house was already home to a large, busy family, yet she made room for others, and that welcome helped plant seeds that would later bear fruit in the Methodist movement.
Susanna Wesley’s example reminds us that hospitality is not measured by the size of a house, the elegance of a meal, or the perfection of our preparations. It begins with an open heart and a willingness to make room. She noticed her neighbors' spiritual hunger and allowed an ordinary home to become a place of grace. In the same way, a church becomes truly welcoming when people sense that their presence matters and that there is a place for them among us.
At St. Andrew UMC, our commitment to warm, traditional Southern hospitality can become a powerful ministry. It can be expressed through a handshake, a remembered name, a clean and inviting space, clear directions, accessible facilities, a place at the table, and sincere interest in another person’s story. It means welcoming people who know Methodist customs and those who do not. It means making room for older adults, young families, children, widows and widowers, people who are grieving, people who are returning to church, and people who are not yet sure what they believe.
Hospitality also requires us to look beyond our familiar circles. It is easy to speak with the same friends each Sunday. Christian hospitality takes the additional step toward someone we do not yet know. That small movement across a room can become a doorway through which another person encounters the grace of Christ. A welcoming church does not merely have friendly people. It has people who take responsibility for ensuring that no one remains a stranger for long.
Action for Today
Introduce yourself to someone at St. Andrew UMC whose name you do not know well. Learn one thing about their life, and remember it the next time you meet.
