When is a Front Door More Than a Door?
When it is also an invitation.
You can tell a lot about the inhabitants of a house just by looking at their door and front yard. I recently drove by a house whose owners had allowed the bushes to grow up over the windows, the front door porch light was burned out, and the front door was dark, tired, and bare. Otherwise, the front yard was reasonably well-kept. The message I received was, “Don’t bother stopping here.” Sometimes “No Solicitation” signs in the front yard underscore that message.
Another house I have driven by has a neatly trimmed yard with bright flowers at the base of the bushes, windows with curtains pulled open, and a front door with a beautiful wreath hanging on it. A large, vertical sign hangs next to the door saying, “Welcome!” The message sent and received is quite different from the other house. Here, I would almost expect to knock on the door and meet my next new friend—and maybe be invited in for dinner! I think that’s the message the church wants to send to the neighbors who drive by our “house” every day.
It has been five years since we began this odyssey, but this Sunday, after the 11 a.m. service, we will consecrate and celebrate our new front door, now facing the busy intersection of East Spring Creek Parkway and Parker Road. The new parking lot is ready, and the finishing touches on the landscaping are nearly done. More than 500 bushes and 50 new trees now surround our campus, creating a softer, greener welcome that the City of Plano requires to better align with the “Park Overlay” that is part of our plat. But what excites me even more is the way our Gathering Area was designed. The angled walls around the three southeast doors look like outstretched arms, ready to embrace our neighbors and invite them inside. And soon, a large banner over those doors will make it clear: this is more than just a front door—it’s an open invitation.
This Sunday’s brief, 30-minute consecration is the first of three Bring 1 events that will highlight our reoriented campus. We’ll mark the occasion with special food and fellowship, and we hope neighbors will join us in celebrating this milestone. I encourage you to come, and to bring along someone you haven’t seen in a while. Together, let’s share the joy as we raise the welcome banner to quite literally shout our welcome from the rooftop. That’s when a front door becomes so much more than just a door.
It’s going to be a beautiful Sunday; let’s fill it up!
Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,
Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor
