60. Host vs Guest

A few weeks ago, I’ve seen a clip of a pastor talking on facebook about the difference between a host and a guest. It gave me some good insights so I would like to share here.

When you are at a party, at first you might not notice who the hosts or guests are but soon you realize there is a huge difference between how the two engage.

Hosts are ready to serve. Hosts come early to prepare. Hosts are often the last ones to leave. On the other hand, guests expect privileges. Guests expect the host to be present and early. Guests come late and leave early. We see these differences in a church setting as well.

Everyone starts from a guest. Being a guest is perfectly fine. If you are still unsure about where you stand regarding Christian faith, please keep visiting.

But if you are a follower of Jesus, remaining as a guest is not normal. Followers of Jesus host.

Because when you finally decided to follow Jesus, that means you have also decided to change the way you engage in church, which is His body, the body of Christ. You have chosen to become a functioning body of Christ.

I’m very grateful that our church has many hosts. We have many people already actively serving in many capacities on Sunday. And if you have been our guests, we are glad you’ve joined us. But we encourage you to start looking for ways to “host”. We believe that growth happens while moving from a satisfied participant to a contributing partner. In the beginning of our faith journey, we realized we needed God. But as we grow, we also realize that God needs us for his mission. From setting up of our worship space to cleaning, the church needs many people to fulfill its God-given mission.

November is Ministry Month. This is the perfect time to pray and think about your roles in this church. We encourage everyone to have at least ONE ROLE in Sunday United Worship and in a house church. The reason is not to push you to serve. It is because having a role gives you a sense of belonging and provides energy into your church life. But most importantly, it is because contributors are always happier than participants.

Jesus made that point clear when he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. (Acts 20:35)