The Ministry of Hospitality at Home

I once knew a lady who made every person who entered her door feel special. Kathy made me feel special, and she was there for me through some hard times.

I recently attended her funeral, and heard so many stories of how she welcomed guests in her home. Her husband talked about what a great wife she was to him–how she took care of his needs. Her children literally rose up and called her blessed.

I never realized during all those times I spent at her house that she was truly a modern Proverbs 31 woman. Serving others and being generous was her ministry. She had the gift of hospitality.

_{This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I received a copy of Reach Out, Gather In from the publisher.}

The Gift of Hospitality

Have you ever noticed how everyone wants the important spots? We all want to stand out and be noticed. We all want our time to shine. But the gift of serving…not so much.

The Bible tells us that God has given every one of us gifts to use to serve Him.

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us…

Romans 12:6

Not everyone has the gift of preaching, teaching or singing. But every one of us can have the gift of hospitality.

For me, hospitality doesn’t come naturally. I’m an introvert, and I prefer to keep to myself rather than reaching out.

Just a few verses down from Romans 12:6, we see verse 13 which says, “distributing to the necessity of the saints; given to hospitality.”

So, even if I am not naturally a hospitable person, I can learn to be. I can develop my character to show hospitality to others.

Learning Hospitality at Home

In the early days of the pandemic our family attended “house church” at the home of an older couple. We went to their home every Sunday for nearly three months.

The lady, also named Kathy, invited us to have dinner with them the first week, and we continued on from there. I was almost sad to return to regular church, because we enjoyed our Sunday afternoons there so much!

We never ate anything fancy, but it was all delicious. She often made a casserole, and our family contributed a side and dessert. Once, I made lasagna, and she provided a salad and bread.

My birthday fell during the pandemic, and I was really bummed. I usually spend the day with my dad, and we go out to a nice restaurant. But that wasn’t possible during the lockdowns.

When we went to her home for the mid-week service, Kathy and her husband had bought a cake and ice cream for me. It was something so special to me during a rough time.

A few meals shared and warm conversation don’t seem like a big deal at the time. But they are meaningful to the recipient, and often more important than the giver knows.

As I think about these two Kathy’s, I know that I have seen true examples of hospitality in my life. And I want to learn from them.

What Hospitality at Home is Not

Maybe it’s too many magazine articles or home decorating shows. But for some reason we think that hospitality at home has to be perfect.

The truth is, you don’t need a beautiful tablescape, lit candles and fancy dishes to show hospitality. Those things are great! But not necessary.

When I attended Kathy’s funeral, I remembered the last time I went to her house. Billy and I stopped there to drop off something for a friend. Only three people were there.

By the time we left about two hours later, the house was full of people and food. Somehow we ended up in the kitchen (we always did) cooking a meal. There was laughter and conversation and love.

And not a fancy serving dish or even a placemat in sight. In fact, over the years I had more deep, meaningful conversations around that scarred, wooden table than in the nicest, prettiest decorated home you’ve ever seen.

Hospitality at home is taking what we have, no matter how small or insignificant it seems, and blessing someone else with it.

How to Practice Hospitality at Home

Hospitality at home isn’t as complicated as we try to make it. It’s really just a matter of doing it. But here are three tips to make it easier to put hospitality into practice.

Keep your house clean(ish).

Don’t tune me out on this one. Perfection is the enemy of hospitality. Your home does not have to be completely tidy and organized before you can invite someone in.

But I have personally found that if my house is cleaner, I am more willing to make the invitation.

I have two boys who love things like LEGO and Hot Wheels. So my house is rarely tidy. But I do try to keep it basically clean by using my weekly cleaning schedule.

I try to keep it to a level of tidiness that I can easily pick everything up in about 10 minutes. Then, I am free to invite people over, knowing I only need a few minutes to prepare.

Have some easy recipes handy.

Don’t worry about trying to prepare a fancy meal for guests. The most important part of hospitality is the love that’s given.

Have a few recipes in your arsenal that you can pull out and feed a crowd. A few of my favorites are:

• Soup and crusty bread
• Taco bar
• Lasagna or baked ziti
• Pulled pork sandwiches
• Casseroles

You can make it extra special by having a simple dessert. Again, it doesn’t need to be fancy. Brownies from a box work just fine!

Another great idea is to have a friend over in the morning and make simple muffins or scones with coffee.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. For real.

My family lived in an RV for fifteen months. For a long time I told myself we couldn’t invite anyone over to our home because it was just too small.

But then we just did it one day. We had a couple over and it turned out to be a lot of fun. We added an extra leaf to the table and borrowed some chairs from our church.

Don’t miss out on the blessings of hospitality over a small excuse. Your home isn’t too small. You don’t need matching dishes. Your life isn’t too crazy.

You can do it. It’s just a matter of making hospitality a priority to you. And just do it.

Read Reach Out, Gather In by Karen Ehman

I consider myself blessed to have ladies in my life who taught me about hospitality in action. And I was so grateful to have found Karen Ehman’s new book, Reach Out, Gather In: 40 Days to Opening Your Heart and Home.

Karen opens the book talking about how she moved to a new town as a young girl. A neighbor lady invited her to her home. She fed her leftovers and apple cinnamon tea, and eventually led Karen to Christ.

As I read it, I was reminded of the many hours I spent with an older lady who poured into my life. And I realized that I hope to someday be able to pass that on to someone else.

If you’d like to do that, too, Karen’s book can help. It’s part devotional, part workbook, full of encouragement, as well as practical tips.

Like it says in the subtitle, Reach Out, Gather In, shows you how to not only open your home, but your heart. First, Karen encourages you to start praying for someone you can reach out to. And I promise that when you do, you’ll find someone.

Then, she lays out practical steps to make it happen. She includes everything from preparing your home to easy meals you can make from leftovers.

Then, she goes into detail with how you can use your own gifts to show hospitality in your unique way.

Reach Out, Gather In is a timely read. We live in a day where people are more separated than ever before, whether it be by fear or politics. We need a way to come together again.

This book can show you the way. I am excited to start putting into practice the things I read.

The Ministry of Hospitality at Home

Every ministry isn’t open to every person. We aren’t all called to preach, teach, or go to the mission field. I am called to be a stay-at-home mom–but not just a stay-at-home mom.

My home is my ministry, and I can use it to reach out to others.

I know, it doesn’t seem important. Can homemade chicken noodle soup or a birthday cake during a pandemic change the world? No. But it can make a difference in the life of one person.

Hospitality at home can influence people one at a time. And that can change the world.

Share with your friends!