Managing the Church
For council chairs, trustees, and others with gifts of administration
Hospitality and the church office
by Charlotte Epp
Hospitality is the best part of my job as a church secretary. I speak to so many more people in the church because I have reason to call them. Often I’m the first to speak to someone entering the building during the week and am the first impression people get of my church community. If your church allows groups from the community to use the building, the church secretary is more than likely the person showing them around and acting as a host.
The role of church office staff has changed greatly over the years. At one time it might have been answering phones and producing the Sunday bulletin. For many it now includes scheduling and management of groups that use the building, preparing PowerPoint slides for services, purchasing supplies, and administering many of the legal requirements now in place for churches including those related to privacy, liability, and safety. But in the middle of all of this church secretaries and administrative assistants might take Hebrews 13:2 as their biblical grounding: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
As a church secretary, I find that actively greeting guests and creating a hospitable environment has everything to do with a congregation’s mission.
I see a lot of strangers come through the door. They can be people inquiring about a program offered by the church, someone seeking a service like a marriage or a funeral, a representative of a group interesting in using the space, or a homeless person looking for a washroom. I greet the mail carrier, the meter reader, and the delivery person, along with attenders and volunteers who come into the church during the week. For many of these people the primary reason for being in the building has little to do with the programs of the church. However, actively greeting them, making them welcome, and creating a hospitable environment has everything to do with our mission. I’ve spent time discussing Anabaptist distinctives with a delivery man who saw an Anabaptist timeline on the wall and was curious as to why there were such fractures in the church.
The church building in times past and in different locations has been seen as a place of refuge, a place to sense the presence of God, a place to go when there is no other place. Can we capture that sense of place in a time of locked doors and heightened security? Our congregation recently created a memorial garden with a bench on our church grounds where both people of the church and people of the community can spend time in reflection, healing, and prayer.
Menno Simons interpreted Scripture’s call to hospitality by saying, “If we wish to save our neighbor’s soul, by the help of the Spirit and the word of God, or if we see our neighbors in need, then we should not close our doors to them.”
There are some concrete things you can do that will be helpful to visitors and attenders alike.
- Display brochures on what we believe (Confession of Faith from a Mennonite Perspective), our distinctives (What Makes a Mennonite?), and your programs (your church’s own invitation brochure) in an easily accessible place in the lobby and let people know they are free for the taking.
- Be knowledgeable about programs at other local churches and how to connect people to them. You need to be proactive in sensing what the need is and where people might connect. Might the visitors benefit from ESL classes? Do they have children who might come out to afterschool kid’s club? Do they want to donate used goods?
- Be prepared to give knowledgeable answers about the church, its statement of faith, and its similarities and differences with other churches in the neighborhood. Be able to explain our roots and history in the Reformation, our peace position, and our emphasis on nonconformed discipleship. Non-Christians are often confused by denominational titles.
Be clear on what your role is and what you can offer to people. Although there are times of crisis when no pastor is around and you are the only one available, be careful not to inappropriately take on pastoral roles, and do discuss concerns with your pastor when you are unsure. Know the church policy for extending charity to people at the door.
In my job I have the privilege of being an extension of the people in my church community. I see members regularly inviting people into their homes and offering themselves in service. Should their church office do any less?
Charlotte Epp has been secretary for 14 years at Peace Mennonite Church in Richmond, British Columbia.