In my final blog post on the intersections between hospitality and our November theme of story, I wonder what role a sense of abundance might play? I have wondered how visitors see and experience us, and how we see and experience visitors. Stories include references to non-verbal cues, open-ended questions, and an effort to be curious and even aggressively friendly. Hmmm, what would abundant hospitality look like to a newcomer? Maybe giving our offering plate away, or maybe…

Do you recall what you looked forward to as a child, when attending a religious service? Was it getting dressed up? Eating a special meal? Or the fun of being with friends you might not otherwise see during the week? When my children were young, they singularly looked forward to going to church for … DONUTS! (The LGBT group in our church sold donuts during fellowship hour, and my kids were allowed to purchase and consume contraband food.)

How welcoming might having snacks in our fellowship/coffee hour feel to a visitor or newcomers? Last spring, thanks to a generous donor in our congregation, we had snacks of fruit and cheese and crackers along with our coffee and tea. Did you enjoy the nibbles while chatting with friends and newcomers? Any chance that grabbing a short snack made attending a meeting or other post-worship event a little more pleasant? Maybe a newcomer was not in a rush to leave church after the worship service?

Hospitality and story go hand in hand even more so when there is a sense of abundance. Not everyone feels comfortable making eye contact or trying to strike up a conversation. I invite you to be part of a group that is willing to dream of how Fellowship Hour snacks might happen again on a regular basis. Could the story of a visitor’s first experience at UUCN include the sense that Fellowship Hour offered a friendly and generous reception?

Your creative and tasty ideas are needed. Contact Lori at UUCNMemDev@gmail.com if you want to share in offering hospitality via Fellowship Hour abundance

With gratitude,

Lori