Hospitality on Saturday Morning - And Much More
Written by Pastor Drew Neidig
On Saturday mornings something special is happening.
As part of the feeding ministry of 6261 “Pretzel City Parish” of Reading, our congregations decided to try something new. Using seed money from a financial gift from an anonymous donor, something we are calling the Hospitality Center was born.
On January 10th of this year, hosted at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on the corner of Perkiomen Avenue and 16th Streets, the Hospitality Center begin its ministry. And while breakfast is certainly a big part of what we serve, there’s more than food on the menu. Things like radical welcome, kindness, and compassion. Our menu is broad.
Here’s how it works. Just before seven o’clock, the lights come on, the coffee starts brewing, and volunteers begin setting out breakfast. Officially, the doors open at seven-thirty, but the truth is, some of our guests are waiting at the door before we arrive. We welcome them in as soon as the key goes in the door. The kind of hospitality we offer doesn’t run on a strict schedule.
Each Saturday morning, we serve a hot breakfast; it might be pancakes or French toast casserole or scrambles eggs. We also serve oatmeal, cereal, fruit, juice, and—perhaps most importantly—a lot of hot coffee. And when I say, “a lot of hot coffee”, I mean a LOT of hot coffee.
But that’s really just the beginning. What we are discovering is that people are not simply looking for a meal. They are looking for a place where they are known, welcomed, and treated with dignity. A place where they a called by name. This has become the heart of the Hospitality Center.
From its earliest days we made a commitment that this would be more than a feeding ministry. Instead, we sit together. We eat together. We talk. We learn each other’s names. We share stories. We circulate through the room, not just refilling coffee cups but engaging in conversation.
It didn’t take long before we started to know our guests well enough to remember what they like to eat. On a recent morning a volunteer began pouring Jane’s favorite beverage, apple juice, as soon as she walked through the door. She said, “you remembered”, her eyes beaming. This is all it takes to turn a hot meal into something more, a community!
In a beautiful turn of events, some of those same guests have begun volunteering alongside the rest of the team. They, assist with things like setting up the tables and chairs, and lend a hand wherever it’s needed. One even mops the floor (that was my least favorite job!). The line between “guest” and “volunteer” has already begun to blur, a sign that something special is happening here.
And maybe the most striking thing about Saturday mornings is the joy in the room. There is laughter. There are conversations that continue week after week. People linger at the tables. The atmosphere feels less like a program and more like a gathering of neighbors.
When we opened the Hospitality Center, we welcomed nineteen guests on that first Saturday morning. We were thrilled. It felt like a promising start.
Since then, the numbers have steadily grown. On a recent Saturday we served sixty-two guests, more than triple the number from those early weeks. Word has clearly been spreading through the neighborhood that there is a place where people are welcome.
Just as encouraging are the comments we have been hearing from neighbors in the surrounding community. Some have stopped by simply to say how much they appreciate what is happening. More than once, we have heard the same sentiment: “This is exactly what this part of Reading needs.”
For a congregation that has been faithfully serving its neighborhood for many years, that kind of affirmation means a great deal. It reminds us that the church still has an important role to play in the life of the community when we are willing to open our doors and build genuine relationships.
For me, the most surprising part of this ministry, is how simple it has been to operate. Volunteers have stepped in. A local food bank has offered to donate food. Other congregations outside of Reading have become involved as well. All signs that we are doing something that’s important and exciting at the same time.
I know that many congregations hesitate to begin something new because it feels overwhelming. We are tired. We don’t need “one more thing.” We imagine complicated systems, large volunteer teams, or extensive funding requirements. What we have experienced at the Hospitality Center is quite the opposite.
The ministry works so well because it’s completely uncomplicated, and it works because it’s about building and sustaining community. The focus is not on running a program perfectly but on creating a space where people feel seen and valued.
A small group of dedicated volunteers arrives early on Saturday mornings. Breakfast is prepared using straightforward ingredients. Tables are set. Coffee is brewed. And people are welcomed. That’s it.
And something else has begun to happen as well.
A couple of our guests have started attending worship at St. Paul’s. Others have engaged in conversations about faith. As some of our guests have gotten to know us and feel comfortable with us, they have shared their stories and their struggles. Many sacred conversations have taken place. I find deep meaning and great joy in that space.
In many ways, the Hospitality Center is a reminder of something the church has always known but sometimes forgets - meaningful ministry often begins with something really simple.
Open the door. Put on a pot of coffee. Set the table. Welcome people by name. And then watch what God does with it. An underutilized church building becomes a community center.
As this ministry continues to grow, we are grateful for the encouragement and support of our Pretzel City Parish, the congregations beyond Reading that have partnered with us, our synod and our neighbors.
If there is one lesson we would pass along from these early months, it’s this: hospitality does not require a large budget, or a large staff. All you need to do is welcome people as neighbors and friends.
Sometimes the most meaningful ministry begins with something as simple as breakfast on a Saturday morning. And a lot of coffee.
I encourage you to give it a try in your congregation.
