Gaius, my beloved friend, I commend you for your demonstration of faithful love by all that you have done for the brothers on their journey, even though they were strangers at the time. They have shared publicly with the congregation about the beautiful acts of love you have shown them.

3 John 5-6 (TPT)

Being part of a church involves community and fellowship with other Christians. Even though having wonderful coffee, a lovely worship ambience and excellent biblical preaching are all positive things, what keeps people coming back is the feeling of friendship and real connections. This is why opening the door to a church is different from opening the door to a returning customer at your business. The relationship with a customer is transactional, but a relationship with another child of God is transformational.

Sometimes we can put so much effort into attempting to win someone over that we neglect to demonstrate our love for them.

A great way to show love is to genuinely care for their well-being and help them to grow and flourish into strong and healthy believers. Learn to discern their hearts and invest in their pursuits. Recognise their fears and support them through their griefs. Encourage them when they prematurely give up on the dreams that God has given them and console them when times are difficult. When they stumble or fail, learn to support them rather than criticise them. There is literally no limit to what we can accomplish if we sincerely love someone.

Gaius was well-liked by everyone who met him. The Apostle John praised him for his kindness and hospitality towards other believers who came to see him even though he had never met them. He has an amazing caring heart, and we can all learn a lot from it. We can learn a lot from his amazing caring heart and welcoming spirit.

Let's take a cue from Gaius. Knowing that the beautiful acts of love we perform can inspire those around us and have a genuine, long-lasting influence. We each have a role to play in growing our community into one that welcomes and loves all people and embraces them.

While some churches are well known for their creative sermons, music, and preaching (and I'm glad they are), I picture our church as a place where newcomers and visitors immediately feel at home and like they belong. Even though we may have flaws, limitations, and imperfections, they will notice and value our real warmth and caring attitude towards them. It is by the way we live, speak, and behave that people can tell if we are genuine disciples of Jesus.