Fruitful Congregations

At Primrose United Methodist Church today we start a study called Radical Hospitality. It comes from Bishop Robert Schnase's book Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. In the book he quotes Jesus saying, "Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me" (Matthew 25:40).
Bishop Schnase defines hospitality as "seeing people as Jesus sees them and seeing Jesus in the people God brings before us" (pg 13). "Christian hospitality refers to the active desire to invite, welcome, receive and care for those who are strangers so that they find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ" (pg 11).
So, if we are going to be hospitable (and maybe entertain angels unawares), what are we going to do?
I think first we must consider the needs and place of others. That is, where is the "not-yet-Christians" in his or her spiritual journey? What does he or she know about how we worship God?
I think that many members of congregations feel like the "church" should meet the needs (and maybe wants) of its members. And that may fit into Jesus' that "just as you did [what you did] to one of the least of these who are my family members, you did it to me" (Matthew 25:40, my paraphrase). Church folk sometimes think they are members of a family of faith when they join a congregation. That's why they want to call each other "brother" or "sister" and sing "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family ..." What those church folk often forget is that the family is supposed to grow. Jesus commissioned his disciples (members of his family) to "go and make disciples" (more family members) and teach them (Matthew 28:19). To accomplish that goal or mission of disciple-making, we must practice RADICAL hospitality. Therefore, we church folk practicing RADICAL hospitality "pray, plan, and work to invite others and ... to support them in their faith journey."