The Rev. Scott Hibben wrote an article a few years back that asked the question of whether or not we expect guest in our church. He talked about when one expects guest they do things differently. They spruce up the house making sure everything is just right. They may even purchase new things to replace old things but at the very least they will vacuum and dust and shove things into closets all to make things look nice and feel hospitable. He then went on to ask the following question: “Do you expect guests to come to your church? If so then we must PLAN and PREPARE for their arrival. Begin by praying for their coming, and then clean things up – inside and out, and prepare to be there to welcome and greet them and offer true hospitality, and pattern the whole service and so much of what happens in the church not for those who are already inside it but for those who will be coming to it. Yes, if we truly expect guests, we really do things differently. Is that what you are doing in your church?” He goes on to say, “The average United Methodist invites someone to church once in only 30 years. It doesn’t sound like we expect anybody to come. Yet 82% of all people who are invited to church by a close friend or family member WILL come. So who are you hopeful will attend your church this Sunday, and what are you doing in anticipation of their arrival?” In wanting guest to come to your church here are some good questions to ask: Is there something well worth inviting a guest to your church for? If a guest arrived, how would you do things differently in order to help him/her feel welcomed and wanted, so that he/she would return? How do you follow up with him/her – not pushy nor absent of any response – but in some way so that he/she “feels like a million bucks” because he/she came to your church on Sunday? We really do get what we expect. Does your church REALLY expect guests – planning for them, preparing for them, praying for them, positioned for them – or is that something more of what you say than what you do? Jesus’ focus was always on them, the “lost sheep,” risking everything in order to bring them in (Luke 15:3-7). How are you living out that expectation that Jesus calls us to – expecting guests this Sunday? Who will you invite to church with you Sunday? How will you plan and prepare for their arrival? Will you pray for them? Just what do you EXPECT! This article got me thinking! How about you? Loving God……. pastor latonya