Critical Role of Hospitality - Part 1

Recently, our partner parish St. Katherine Drexel in Frederick, Maryland invited me to speak to their volunteer ministers and other parish leaders about the importance of the weekend experience. Creating an excellent weekend experience is a key component to having a healthy, growing parish. For 90 percent of people, the weekend Mass comprises their total church experience. As a result of this encounter, they choose whether they will engage more with their parish church or not. For new people, they are deciding whether they will come back to the church or not. The weekend Mass and programs around it set the culture and tone for the parish.

The three main pillars of a great weekend experience are the music, the message or homily, and the ministers who create a culture of hospitality and welcome. Since I was speaking to the volunteer ministers and parishioners, I focused on the importance of creating a culture of hospitality and welcome since that is where they have the most influence on the weekend experience.

Hospitality exists when you believe the other person is on your side. It exists when you step into an environment, especially a new or foreign one, and believe people are for you and your well-being. The book of Hebrews tells us:

“Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.” Hebrews 13:1-2

These verses from Hebrews remind us that love and hospitality go together. They also remind us that there can be a temptation to neglect hospitality if we do not intentionally make it a priority.

We keep hospitality a priority at a parish by raising up hospitality volunteer ministries. Everything rises and falls on leadership and it is weekend hospitality ministries that lead the way to a hospitable and welcoming culture. The pastor and parish staff set the tone for these values, but ultimately it is volunteer leaders and ministers who lead the way. A parish can only become known as a welcoming and hospitable community if those values are embraced by volunteer leaders and ministers.

At Rebuilt, we encourage parishes to think of hospitality as creating layers of welcome. At Nativity, we have created the following ministries:

• Parking Ministry on the parking lot
• Greeters at the door
• Host Ministers in the church
• Welcome Desk in our lobby
• Café Service after Mass

These different ministries create a culture of welcome throughout people’s experience at Mass. From the moment people arrive on the campus, to the time they leave, we want them to know we are for them. For the new person, it helps break down the walls to hearing the Gospel. In some ways, having a culture of welcome preaches the Gospel before the people even hear it proclaimed to them.

I shared these thoughts with the community of St. Katherine Drexel and then offered reasons to invest in hospitality ministries and create a culture of welcome. Since this has not often been how many parishes operate, I know the effort and energy in creating and investing in these ministries can seem frivolous or “unnecessary” as one pastor once responded. In light of that, I created a top ten list of reasons to build up and invest in hospitality ministries in your parish.

1. It makes the church attractive.

Did you ever notice that when you go to a ball game or a concert or another big event, your experience begins long before the actual event starts? There is the experience of parking, walking toward the stadium or building, vendors selling food and souvenirs along the way, people taking tickets at the door. All of these experiences add to the feeling of excitement and anticipation. Hospitality ministers create the same buzz about Mass, which we hope is the most important event in everyone’s week. Hospitality ministers create excitement that we get to worship the living God and receive him in the Eucharist.

A few years ago, my friend Josh Noem came to Mass at Nativity. Josh serves as the Editorial Director at Ave Maria Press, our publisher. Josh arrived about 30 minutes before Mass expecting an empty church. Instead, he was blown away by the levels of activity on the lot and around the building as our hospitality ministries got ready to welcome people to Mass. Hospitality ministries create a buzz and make the church attractive.

2. Hospitality ministries help unchurched people and de-churched people know and feel they are welcome.

By "unchurched" people we mean people who never have made church attendance and engagement a habit. For the "de-churched", we mean people who stopped attending Mass and left the church out of frustration or hurt. We can say that people are welcome, but it takes more than words to make people feel welcome. Actions are needed as well. Hospitality reinforces the message and breaks down people’s inhibitions.

As an example of this, let me share a personal experience. I like to work out and go to the gym, but as a result of Covid I had taken many months off from the gym. Finally, I decided to go back. I knew it wasn’t rational, but in the back of my mind, I expected a glare the first time I went back. Instead, I walked through the door, and the receptionist smiled at me and handed me a towel; these simple gestures made it so much easier to go back. Unfortunately, in many parishes, a glare is often what greets people when they come to church and as a result they don’t come back. Hospitality ministers ensure that newcomers receive a warm smile so they know they are welcome, whether it’s their very first time or their first time back in a while.

I’ll cover the next eight reasons to invest in hospitality in the next few blogs. Take a moment to rank the hospitality at your parish. Is your current weekend experience attractive and welcoming to both members and guests? What would you like to see happen so that it is more attractive and welcoming? Envisioning it is the first step toward achieving your goal.

Rooting for you,
Tom