1) Be happy!
Be happy to see people! There is not a day I walk into my church when people are not happy to see me or that I'm not happy to see them.
They are my family! Don't our Bibles say to rejoice always? (Philippians 4:4). The apostle Paul did not hold back his joy and affection for the church. He told them that they could make his joy complete (Philippians 2:2). He also exhorted them and told us to greet each other with a holy kiss (Romans 16:16).
If you ever visit my church, you'll get kissed a lot. You will also get hugged a lot. The truth is, we have to express our joy, and I find that God loves that. Have you heard of the person God called "a man after his own heart"? (Acts 13:22). How expressive he was! Be like king David.
2) Be passionate
We love the Lord, and we are not scared to hide it. People at my church will smile from ear to ear. They will lift their hands. They will shout, sing and dance. They love Jesus, His Word and His church. They love worshipping Him.
They also love the people of God and are not afraid to show it. They will tell you how happy they are to see you — even if they have never had a 20 minute conversation with you. We are not afraid to show emotion.
Mary, Paul and Peter weren't either. The people in our Bible were incredibly passionate and intentional people. Don't we shout at Sunday games? Why not at church? We need to live and breathe Psalm 150. Be unashamed of your love for God and others. Be passionate.
3) Be a family
At my church, we are very much involved in each other's lives. Someone is sick? You better believe people will visit and bring them food. We carry each other's burdens and pray for one another. We rejoice when others rejoice (Romans 12:15).
We don't care only for those closest to us. We care for every single one of us. We reach out as much as we can, even though we have our busy New York City lives. Sometimes we fall short in this. We are definitely not perfect.
But what matters is not reaching out with perfection. What matters is being caring. This responsibility doesn't fall on a hired worker of the church, but on all of us. It takes a village. We are called to carry one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2) and to model the First Church (Acts 2:44-47).
4) Don't give up on your family
Our sense of loyalty is so great. We love each other so much that we stay together even when it hurts. I've heard this statement from my brethren more than once: "Remember when we had that issue? Thank God the enemy delivered us from that!" It is a beautiful thing to go through life together and grow together.
We are also willing to talk things through with people. It is very hard for a Dominican person to hide their feelings. We're so expressive. We speak with our actions even when we don't say anything.
Of course, sometimes it is healthy to break certain relationships while forgiving them. It is important to forgive because the gospel always calls us to community. We should always talk things through with our bothers and sisters (Matthew 18:15).
5) Get together
We absolutely love any occasion to get together and celebrate! Birthday parties, graduations, baptisms, etc. You name it. We love it. There is always delicious food and a lot of laughter. We also love hosting. It is so fun to welcome people and feed them. It brings us so much joy to know that everyone is satisfied and having a good time. It is one of my favorite things about my culture.
Once again, this is very much the way the First Church operated (Acts 2:46). They did everything together. They loved being with one another. We should never just meet once a week. We are called to meet and fellowship always (Hebrews 10:25).
6) Be welcoming to new people
We love to see new people come visit us. If you are one of my American friends, you know this is true. You feel incredibly welcomed and warm when you visit.
But our welcoming atmosphere doesn't leave once you leave. People still ask me about friends I brought to church a year ago. Sometimes we struggle keeping in touch with newcomers or establishing meaningful relationships, but we genuinely love to receive them and eventually call them family.
It is so sad to walk into a church where no one really wants to talk to you. A "hello" or a "welcome" is not enough. You need to know where they come from and who they are. This is a way of showing love. We cannot only show love to or be interested in those intimately connected to our lives (Luke 6:32). We are called to show love and hospitality to everyone (Hebrews 13:1).
7) Don't be individualistic
We are used to making individual sacrifices for the sake of the whole. Even though we may not call it that, we do sacrifice. This is because we understand It's not about us as individuals. It's about all of us. We are a body. So many people are so concerned with themselves — their affairs or how other people see them — that they cannot show love to others. We are hurting all of us when we just think about us. My pastor continuously talks about this and prays that we are a team.
Jesus asked the Father that we may be one (John 17:21), and Paul in his letter to the church of Corinth, 1 Corinthians 12:12, he tells them to be members with one another in the body of Christ.
We are a body. We work together. We move together. When I walk, sit or stand, the individual parts of my body have to work with and care for one another. This is how we must be and work, and only through Christ can we unite. We are not commanded to unhealthy attachment or to operate like a gang, but we are to be a living and breathing organism.
8) Give people compliments
Tell people what you really think! They actually need to hear it. Every Sunday I get compliments without any effort. It's just a joy for others to know what we like about them. It is so important for people to know they matter and that they are loved and appreciated.
Remember all of the compliments the Apostle Paul gave to every church. The Lord God Himself gave compliments to the seven churches in the book of Revelation. I love encouraging people in this way, and I love to be encouraged that way too. Tell them how lovely they are and how you love their smile, their attire or their intelligence. Everyone has wonderful things to be complimented on. Don't miss the opportunity to love on your brother or sister.
I hope you have enjoyed these eight things my Dominican church rocks at. And hey, if you're ever bored with your church and you want to pay us a visit, come to Oasis Alliance Church on 141 Audubon Avenue, New York, NY, 10032. We will welcome you with a lot of smiles, kisses, hugs and compliments.
