Teamwork in Hospitality

You may not know this about me, but I played quite a bit of basketball in my younger days. One thing I love about basketball is that it is such a team sport. Though the players on a team usually have their assigned position and role, all the players have to carry out the basic skills of the game. So the point guard may have the best ball-handling skills, but all the team members have to be able to dribble and pass as well. The big guy might be the one pulling down the most rebounds, but the other team members need to be blocking out and going after the boards too. So there are certain assignments that are particular to each position and role, and other assignments that must be carried out by every member of the team, in order for the team to compete well.

That same kind of teamwork needs to happen in the Church. Each of us as believers have particular giftings and functions that are vital to the rest of the Body because they are unique, but at the same time, there are commands and “assignments” from Scripture that all of us as believers are called to obey. Not everyone is called or equipped to serve in Children’s Ministry or on a worship team or shepherding a Branch ministry. Those may be particular functions and giftings. But if Scripture is correct (and it is), then all of us who are followers of Christ are called—and therefore equipped—to show hospitality to one another in the church.

I Peter 4:9 says “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” Peter is writing that to the church—to all believers—and he doesn’t preface it by saying “If you’re an extrovert…” or “If you’ve got a warm personality…” or “If you have a big home…” He simply says “Show hospitality.” Therefore in order for our church to function the way God intends it to function, ALL of us need to be extending hospitality to one another within our church family.

Some will be called to specific roles within ministries of hospitality—and if you are not currently serving in a ministry, there are lots of opportunities to serve in various hospitality ministries, so please contact me!—but even if we don’t serve in a ministry of hospitality, we are still called to show hospitality to those around us. In the next couple articles, I will be sharing about the process for hospitality and follow-up that we are putting in place, and how all of us can take part—in fact, MUST take part—in order to make that process successful.