Free Wi-Fi – Communication Lessons

While planning my trip last week, I still had some difficulty finding a hotel room. In the end, several hotels in the same category were offered to me, and I chose the one that offered free Wi-Fi. I forgive the lack of a kettle, bathrobe, and/or slippers in the room, but not the lack of free Wi-Fi. This is because some hotels continue to charge a high price for Wi-Fi, even though the cost to them is minimal.

Now, Wi-Fi has become very popular; it is neither a luxury product nor a product of great rarity. Therefore, when a hotel charges you a high price for it, you conclude that either their management is antediluvian, or they are bunches of pennies who do not consider the well-being of their customers. At this price level, spending money on Wi-Fi is indecent. I systematically avoid these hotels unless I have to.

This got me thinking about the church. Are there things we can do that might cost us little but would go a long way toward improving our guests' worship experience? things that we refuse to do, which would nevertheless allow them to better understand the gospel that we proclaim and to feel at ease among us?

Are there things we hold dear (like a paid internet connection) that are not non-negotiable biblical values (for example, I won't ask for a free room, it's their 'core business', we don't touch it), but that would prevent those who don't know Christ from coming to Him?

From my perspective as a frequent traveler, the archaism of paid internet access is obvious, but not for the hotels concerned. What are the peripheral elements of your organization or department that influence your image and ultimately could hinder your ability to expand your audience?