On Easter Monday, my husband's 92-year-old grandmother went to go be with her Lord whom she loved so dearly.

I could go on and on about how incredible this woman was and how blessed I feel to have been known and loved by her for the past decade.

The second reading at her funeral was Colossians 3:12-17, and let's just say, my mouth dropped open as I realized she checked off every single one of those attributes. Literally every single one. It was like it was written about her.

I aspire to be even half of the gentle, patient, loving, selfless Christian woman she was.

Back to marketing and evangelization, though, lest this newsletter become an obituary.

Her funeral was held at the local Methodist church, where she had been a member for more than 60 years. It was a beautiful service celebrating her life and faith, but that wasn't where I saw Jesus the most.

It was at the reception.

You see, there was a committee that offered to host a reception following the burial back at the church. I honestly didn't expect much — maybe a few baked goods and sandwiches.

So imagine how blown away I was when I walked in to two HUGE tables filled with tons and tons of food.

Plus another filled with incredibly delicious desserts.

A dozen tables and chairs for a sit-down luncheon.

Then, on each table, a plant with a sign explaining they'd be planting them around the church in her honor.

Not to mention the tons of church members that were there serving, taking hours out of their Saturday afternoon to honor one of their members.

Everyone was so gracious, welcoming, and incredibly hospitable.

Even though she hadn't been able to physically attend in a while, they all seemed to know her. And not just in the, "oh yeah I've heard of her, she was a nice lady" way. A genuine, we really loved her too, way.

The feeling of community was palpable.

And I left thinking — wow. If I'd been someone looking for a church community, I would be going there.

The impression was that impactful.

All of this to say: Don't underestimate the importance of hospitality in evangelization and getting new parishioners.

You may not be able to have a reception like that for every funeral. But the way you make people feel in those moments matters.

It will be remembered long after, longer than any communication you could ever do.

(But also supplement with communications too! Communications that invite people to take the next step — in the case of a funeral, an invite to a grief ministry, for example — help hospitality impacts to last even longer.)

So as you plan your evangelization strategy, don't forget to ask: What are the things we can do — big or small — that can help people feel radically loved and welcomed?

How can we invest in people even if they're on here for a brief time, using those opportunities to show people Christ's love?

You never know who in the crowd at big gatherings like this (sacraments, funerals, etc.) may be craving the community — and love of Christ — you have to offer.

And sometimes, just feeling radically welcomed and served might be the push they need to take that next step.

For His greater glory,

Emily

Post your VBS! My local "here's what to do in the region with your kids" newsletter put out a list of local summer camps recently, and they had a whole section just for religious camps and VBS. So if you are doing a VBS and know the dates, look for local calendars and event newsletters to share your camps in! Not sure what the local bloggers/event newsletters are? Ask a few of the moms at your church!