BookNook, a mini-bookshop located opposite the Plaza Hall, sells Christian books, bibles, devotionals, greeting cards and gifts.

Here we have the review on the book written by Reverend Ivan Tan on Hospitality & Growing the Church.

Reverend Ivan Tan:
Hospitality & Growing the Church, 2023 (Available at BookNook @ $20.00)

There is so much to like about this short but very insightful book. It’s less than a hundred pages,
but Revd Ivan Tan has packed a lot of very helpful thoughts, reflections and probing questions between its green covers.

Hospitality sounds like a fairly formal word; perhaps
we think of hospitals, a hospice, or about the hospitality of a hotel or guesthouse. Given the title, we may think it’s about welcoming visitors to our church. But it goes much deeper.

At heart, it is part of what Jesus calls the second
great commandment: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” The earliest Christians were known to practice hospitality to strangers (see Hebrews 13:2). Drawing inspiration from one of his professors at Asbury Theological Seminary, Dr Christine Pohl, pastor Tan shows that hospitality should be extended to those we already know but also to those we have no relationship with. The former strengthens and builds relationships; the latter is a way to welcome the Lord Himself. Re-read Matthew 25! The book gives a very moving example of a stranger who came to Living Hope Methodist Church.

The book has three parts, successively dealing with welcoming strangers, welcoming friends, and the dimension of the family.

For welcoming strangers, a firm biblical foundation is given, together with a good overview of the practice
of the early church. Pastor Ivan then delves into the question of who these strangers are. Here too he starts with many biblical examples before bringing it right home to our Singapore context with many helpful examples and practical suggestions for the church.

The section on welcoming friends also starts with the example of Jesus and of the early church. From there we are challenged to look afresh at the ethnic diversity found in our own society, and how our guests can become our friends.

The third part, ‘Welcoming Family’ builds on the previous two: “In the Christian tradition, hospitality is offered to strangers whom we welcome as our guests. As we get to know them, they become our friends. And over time as they get involved in the life of our church community, they become our family in Christ.” (p. 61)

Indeed, the church is ‘the household of faith’. Ivan cites our own experience at Wesley in the early 1980’s as an example. Many helpful suggestions are offered on how the church can be a more truly welcoming family, including a short biblical overview of the salvation of households in Luke and Acts.

Each section of the book comes with helpful reflection and/or discussion questions. A thoughtful poem, some prayers and a short liturgy are included, as well as
a bibiography for those who want to read more on this important topic. Joel Choong provided several illustrations, including a watercolour on the cover. This book is excellent material for small group study, because it keeps the reader going back to the bible and includes helpful questions for small group discussion. Warmly recommended!

Reviewed by André De Winne