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Abbie, my wife, and I planned a weekend getaway that included an “industry leading four-star hotel” with all the amenities you could dream of. There was complimentary valet parking, a doorman, huge smiles and great customer service at the front desk. We took our bags to our luxurious room and the unimaginable happened.

We had to pay for wireless Internet.

I know. I know. I was shocked, too. Actually, I really was annoyed. I mean, this is an “industry leading” hotel. And I was supposed to pay over $15 a day for Internet. For the entire weekend I would have spent $45 just in technology fees. I thought to myself, “In case you haven’t noticed, ‘industry leading’ hotel, technology is kind of a big deal nowadays. This is absolutely unacceptable!”

I recently came across an article by Elliot Mest where he interviewed Stuart Greif, vice president and general manager of global travel and hospitality at J.D. Power, about a recent hotel customer satisfaction survey. Greif stated, “Customers were more likely to be satisfied if the costs for Internet access were included in the room rate, and very frustrated when a hotel’s wireless connection was slow … If the McDonald’s across the street has fast, free Wi-Fi Internet then they expect it in the hotels as well. And it better work.”

So, you may be asking, what’s the point of this little rant, Adam? Well, here’s the thing. I think of the local church as an “industry leading” place – a place trying to provide an experience that is inviting, friendly and welcoming.

Churches work hard at removing barriers for people that don’t know Jesus. But often churches don’t provide free Wi-Fi for visitors or even their volunteers and church attendees (who may need to access information while at the church).

I know churches aren’t requiring people to pay $15 a day for Wi-Fi access (though that would solve some budget problems!). And not providing free Wi-Fi isn’t the end of the world. But are you hoping to be a culturally relevant, “industry leading” church? Want to offer a more inviting and hospitable environment? Offering free Wi-Fi at your church might be a great next step!