The First Thing You Notice
Author: Daniel Owens, PhD
August 17, 2023
In 2002 Heather and I visited Indonesia. As I was walking around with one of our
missionary friends, I snapped a quick picture of the neighborhood rooster. Laughing,
the missionary said, “This is obviously your first trip to Indonesia!” It’s true. When we
arrive in a new place or community, we
notice things.
Sometimes the things that we notice first are indicators of the character of the place,
and we ought to pay attention to them.
Since we arrived at NCC, what have we noticed? Well, New Covenant Church folk are
warm and welcoming. Maybe that sounds a bit humdrum, but it is a real strength of
the church and reflects a God-honoring character to the community. Many churches
are hard to penetrate. The doors may swing open freely on their hinges, but the
community has an outer shell that is hard as a rock.
New Covenant Church is different. I realize our family is an exceptional case because I
was a pastoral candidate. But the evidence I see reflects a broader atmosphere of
welcome and care. I see:
- adults reaching out to our boys to talk after church on Sunday or ladies inviting my wife out for coffee or a meal.
- church members talking about how to extend love to others within the church and beyond.
- quiet servants spreading out tempting snacks at fellowship time after church and other events.
This kind of hospitality not only can hold a church together. It adorns the gospel we
proclaim.
Hospitality is an expression of love, and God is the ultimate host—not the if-you-build-
it-they-will-come kind of host but the shepherd-seeking-the-lost-sheep kind of host
(Matt. 18:12–14). I think of the line in the hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation”:
From heav’n He came and sought her
to be His holy bride;
with His own blood He bought her,
and for her life He died.
God’s hospitality is active and costly. He pursued us in our rebellious and pitiful state as sinners. Were the price not paid in Jesus’ blood, no church would exist. The love of God is at the heart of the gospel as well as our very existence as the church. As servants
of the Lord Jesus, I hope we will not take hospitality for granted.
Thinking about Growth Groups and other ministries this past week, I have wondered
how we can live out our warm hospitality in ways that adorn the gospel for our
neighbors. We want them to see the glorious love of our Savior, and hospitality is one
way to point them to His love. I pray that the Lord will continue to use our hospitality
to adorn the good news.
May our loving hospitality be one of the first things our neighbors notice about us.
Next week: Some preliminary thoughts on where Daniel sees our discipleship
ministries headed.
Daniel Owens, PhD, is NCC’s pastor of discipleship. He and Heather have been married for 23 years.
Photo by Livia Widjaja on Unsplash
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