If you asked the average passerby on the street, they probably wouldn’t say that Christianity and partying go hand in hand. In fact, they might express the opposite. But in order to effectively reach those we lead and capture the heart of the next generation, the Church needs to embrace Jesus’ example that, well, sometimes it takes a party to let people know they’re invited.

Today on The Pod, we look at ministry from a mindset that celebrates the people in our communities—even the ones who don’t look like or think like us—and invites people to experience hospitable environments within our churches. First, we hear from Reggie Joiner, who shares stories straight from his neighborhood and redefines what it looks like to party. Then we’re joined by Terry A. Smith, pastor of The Life Christian Church. He shares ideas from his new book, The Hospitable Leader, that reveal ways for ministry leaders to gain influence and maximize the potential of those they lead.

Welcome to Episode 75 of The Think Orange Podcast!

Topic Timeline

How to win two free tickets to Orange Conference 2019 (4:56)

Reggie tells the story of his next-door neighbor Tom (6:35)

Going to parties together changes relationships (13:00)

Reggie’s definition of the word party: Any effort to celebrate, serve, or enjoy each other in a way that adds value to life (13:55)

Jesus’ example that sometimes it takes a party (14:25)

Jesus used a party to explain the kingdom of God and demonstrate that we’re all invited (18:02)

What would happen if you started acting like everyone was invited? (19:43)

Dave and Ashley interview Terry A. Smith (21:15)

The idea behind Terry’s book The Hospitable Leader (22:24)

The growth of diversity at The Life Christian Church (25:59)

Jesus and early church leaders accomplished their mission within the context of hospitable settings (29:18)

The practical focus of hospitable leaders (31:55):

  • Physical environment
  • Spiritual environment
  • Emotional environment
  • Attitudinal environment
  • Communicative environment

The five welcomes of hospitable leadership (35:45):

  • Home
  • Strangers
  • Dreams
  • Communication
  • Feast

Every empty seat at the table is a lost opportunity (42:12)

In family ministry, we get to throw a party for kids every week (44:14)

Hospitable leadership is a precursor to every other form of leadership—including servant leadership (45:32)

We need to move from hostility to hospitality (47:37)

Dave’s final thoughts (53:56)