have to be

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Belonging as Hospitality How we create spaces of belonging? • Bring food and have meals (sharing a meal as “holy”) • Communicating directly with students (for invitations, etc.) • Being intentional with each student (“it’s up to you to reach out to them”) • Ask students to bring a friend with them if they are visiting for the first time ◦ Students want to know “who’s going to be there?” • Hi-Low’s - (sharing one good and one bad part of the week) - creates space for knowing • “House Group’s Fair” on Sunday - so students are “forced” to check it out 😉 (aka speed dating) • If someone is on the fence - form the relationship with them on Sunday mornings ◦ Ask James to look at the list of unconnected students 😉 • Game time that identifies something unique about the students (“hi there left hand girl”) - helps students become more comfortable ◦ “We want them to come to know Christ, but we want them to first be known.” - Wendy Jacobi • Let students know they are missed when they don’t show up (from leaders and students) ◦ Students respond better to other students reaching out ◦ Be careful of “guilt tripping” ◦ Take the pressure off for students to have to be there at every single one ◦ Postcards = so 1940’s ◦ Pressure to come it bad ◦ Invitation should be casual

◦ Building the relationship first is key ◦ “hey can I meet with you” - don’t even talk about church or house group at first (=pressure) • The house group can’t be the end - it’s about individual personal relationships • Pitch better on Sunday’s - make videos