JOHN 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you. That ye love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
“Faith communities that practice Radical Hospitality do not look only at the numbers, corralling people through perfunctory processes to get them to join. Instead they genuinely engage people, listen to them and help them feel accepted, respected, connected, needed, involved and loved. They form relationships. They help newcomers grow into the body of Christ’s people.”
Susan & Bob Cosmai: We live in the Lake Deaton neighborhood and started attending church services at Eisenhower six years ago. Four years ago we became members. We wanted to share our story on “Radical Hospitality” with the congregation in the hopes that it will encourage members of our church to reach out to other members or attendees who may not feel connected to Lake Deaton UMC.
Our story: We attended services at Eisenhower and made it a point to sit in the back row so that we could be the first ones out the door! We weren’t sure if this was the church we wanted to get totally immersed in or just attend Sunday services. Our story tells our journey from sitting in the back row to becoming fully involved members of the church thanks to the “Christian Hospitality” shown by other members of the church who invited us to join programs or graciously invited us to head up programs or become part of the team. By doing so, we saw the positive effect it had on us and the importance of reaching out to others to show “Christian Hospitality” as a way to help our church family grow!
Discussion Questions:
- Do you have an example of how you shared “Radical Hospitality” with a new or current member?
- How can sharing “Radical Hospitality” help our church family grow?
Lake Deaton at Home 
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