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Practicing Hospitality
October 27 - November 2, 2024
We believe the gospel compels us to those who are near. These may be people who live across the street, work in the adjacent cubicle, or help us coach youth sports. They are people in the spaces where we live, work, and play. As followers of Jesus, we want to patiently pursue others in a way that is motivated by God’s love for us in Jesus. But where do we begin? 
One way we can pursue others is by practicing hospitality. A biblical understanding of hospitality is not throwing a dinner party with our closest friends. It is much more compelling than that! Take a moment to watch Rosaria Butterfield's story as she shares a persuasive vision of what hospitality can look like. 

The Vision

Hospitality as Rosaria models in this video is a lost art. The goal of our spring Missional Week is to learn to practice what Rosaria calls “radically ordinary hospitality” in our homes (Butterfield, 31). Sometime during the week of October 27 - November 2, we encourage you to host someone for a meal using the model below. 

How to Start

  1. PRAY: Who is God leading you to invite to your home for a meal? Perhaps this is the stranger across the street, a co-worker who is barely an acquaintance, or the family that cheers next to you at your kid’s soccer game. Ask God to make it clear whom to invite. 
  2. INVITE: Extend the invitation in a way that feels most natural for the relationship. 
  3. LISTEN: Get to know those you invite. Take this opportunity to get to know them better. We cannot emphasize enough that we don’t want to view people as projects. This isn't an interview; it is an opportunity for relationship. Our prayer for you is that a relationship would develop to the point where you will have an opportunity to share about the hope of Jesus. But even if it doesn’t come to this, we don’t want you to see your relationship as a failure. 
  4. FOLLOW UP: This can be as simple as scheduling another meeting, sending a follow up text, etc.
We have developed Connection Cards as a resource for you to use as a host. These cards have dozens of conversation starters and are a great way of initiating conversation. These boxes can be picked up at the resource table on a Sunday mornings.

Share About Your Experience 

If you are open to sharing, we would love to hear stories about how God uses this time. You can share your story as part of our ongoing initiative of partnering with Jesus to bring redemptive good to your community.
Butterfield, Rosaria Champagne. The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018.