Mar

Practice What You Preach – Hospitality Is More Than A Word

This week I’ve been busy practicing what I preach. I’ve been taking care of the details of hosting guests for our pastor’s anniversary. Planning events and bringing in guests is the what I enjoy most about my job. I enjoy planning out the details and then making sure everything comes together without a hitch. My goal is for our guests to feel comfortable and valued.

On Tuesday we had a pre-anniversary celebration with comedian Rod Allison. At the end of his performance, he thanked us for inviting him and complemented our staff and armor bearers for our level of hospitality and excellence. Mr . Allison enjoyed himself and we enjoyed hosting him because he exemplified what I wrote about in my post, 10 Ways to Get Invited Back to A Ministry.

In previous posts I’ve talked about the importance of hospitality:

On Suite101.com, Janice Benoit defines hospitality in the following manner:

I often am asked, “What is hospitality?” Wikipedia defines hospitality as the relationship process between a host and a guest.

But what does that mean in practical terms? I believe that hospitality is better defined in terms of the guest’s feelings. For instance, does the guest feel comfortable (in terms of location, interaction with other guests, food choices, ambient temperature, etc.).

So an effective way to implement hospitality . . . is to use The Golden Rule. Put yourself in the guest’s place and make sure that you are comfortable with every aspect of your function. Even in party planning, do onto others as you would have done unto yourself!

I chose this definition because it is right on point. Treat your guests the way you would want them to treat you and it will make you a better host. The best book that I have read on hospitality is Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service by the Disney Institute.

Over the years, our church has become known for its hospitality to guests. We have learned by observing other churches, taking note during restaurant experiences and reading books on customer service. If you want to take your church to another level of hospitality, continue to learn and practice what you learn on your guests. It’s not that hard, practice makes perfect.