Setting the Table (Part 1)

I'm beginning to read Danny Meyer's "Setting the Table". And already feel it's worth the read (and I'm only on chapter 1).

In case you've never heard of Danny Meyer...he is CEO of one of the world's most dynamic restaurant organizations ( in which he has opened and successfully run 11 establishments in and around NYC. All of his places thrive in an industry where restaurants go belly up all the time. His secret..."enlightened hospitality" (I'll elaborate on that in other posts as I read).

I'm reading this book to learn how the church, a notoriously cold place for many, can extend itself with God's generous hand of hospitality to doubters, seekers and followers. I truly believe churches are the best communities on planet earth better than bars, softball teams or even your neighborhood...it's often veiled behind a poor execution. It's time to change that...

Here's a few quotes from my reading so far :

• "Within a few moments of being born, most babies find themselves receiving the first four gifts of life: eye contact, a smile, a hug and some food. We receive many other gifts in our lifetime, but few can ever surpass those first four."

• "...what's most meaningful is creating positive, uplifting outcomes for human experiences and human relationships."

• "Err on the side of generosity: You get more by first giving more."

Walkaways for us as a church :

1. Those 4 things, eye contact, a smile, a hug and some food (both for the belly and soul), would change our environment immediately. People would want to come to church, if for no other reason than experiencing love and belonging. We cannot underestimate its effect.

2. People want to come to church to uplifted not guilt tripped. I'm not saying water down the message but come one, if people are coming to connect with others and God...let's make them feel like it could actually be a positive and enjoyable thing.

3. The church should be a place of generousity because it has even reason to be. We expect people to give their offering but how much would that increase if the church modeled what it desired of its people.

I'm looking forward to reading and learning a whole lot more...