One of my favorite things is when our house is full of people. I love hospitality because, over the years, the Lord has taught me it’s not about my house, cooking skills, or picture-perfect decor. Instead, biblical hospitality is about welcoming others in for the sake of loving others and pointing them to Christ.
For our family, summer looks completely different than our normal routine. It’s busier in some ways, but slower in others. We love to use this break from our typical schedule to be intentional with our home. We believe the home is an excellent place to disciple and build relationships with fellow believers, and evangelize unbelievers. Hospitality doesn’t always have to be a five-star meal, though. There are many creative ways we can open our homes to love others this summer.
Popsicles and playdates. There are two things I love about this: It won’t break the bank, and it can be done at any time of day. It’s also a great way to meet neighbors. The invite could be as simple as, “We’re having popsicles in our front yard Saturday at 10 a.m. Everyone is welcome, and the kids can play while the adults chat!”
S’mores night. This is a great way to connect with your small group or women’s Bible study. I like to provide graham crackers and marshmallows and invite others to bring their favorite chocolate to share. It helps our budget (chocolate is typically the most expensive part!), and it’s fun to create s’mores with different chocolates.
Dessert and devotion. For full transparency, I “borrowed” this title from my mom. She started this when I was in college, and my husband and I did variations of it throughout our student ministry days. Consider who you can disciple this summer, and invite them over for Bible study and dessert. It’s tempting to think summer requires a break from such Bible studies, but from our experience, students were hungry to continue Bible study and community throughout the summer. Another great thing is that this can be done at any time of day. I hosted youth girls during the afternoon, and we hosted college students after dinner.
Dinner. Let’s not forget inviting others over for dinner. This is what typically comes to mind when we think of hospitality, but for us, summer holds fewer sports, which means more free evenings to invite others over for dinner. Invite the new person at church, someone younger that you could disciple, someone older that could disciple you, or a person who doesn’t yet know Jesus.
Hosting your children’s friends. As my children get older, I’m realizing hospitality may not always look like inviting a family over for dinner. Sometimes, it’s welcoming a bunch of middle school boys into my home and fixing them milkshakes at 10 p.m. Let’s not neglect the great influence for Christ we can have when we hold our schedules, pantry, and even furniture loosely, saying “yes” when our children want to invite friends over.
Prayer brunch. A few summers ago, I was burdened to pray intentionally as our VBS approached. I invited our women’s ministry to my home and asked everyone to bring a brunch item to share. We prayed for VBS, and it was the sweetest time. You can do this for VBS, a mission trip, summer camp, or for more general things like your church, community, and even one another. There’s something precious when Christians join one another in prayer.
Hospitality outside the home. Recently, I heard our homes described as the “headquarters” of our hospitality. Hospitality starts in the home, but it shouldn’t end there. Instead, we’re to consider the whole of our lives and how we can live in such a way that welcomes others into our lives for the sake of Christ. Look at what’s already on your calendar, and pray about who you can invite into that. For example, if you’re already going to the park, invite someone to join you. Also, don’t forget there’s power in bringing hospitality to someone else. Dropping off a meal, snack items, fresh fruit, or coffee to a new neighbor, friend in need, or someone you want to encourage will mean the world to whoever the Lord lays on your heart.
We’re tempted to think hospitality doesn’t “count” if it doesn’t involve dinner. My prayer is that you’ll see we can get creative with our hospitality. We can think outside the box so that budget or time constraints don’t hold us back from loving others well.
It’s a joy to use our homes and the whole of our lives to love others. Don’t consider this a must-do list, but simply an encouragement to get creative and be intentional with your summer. May God’s people be encouraged and the gospel be shared over popsicles, around fire pits, and in dropping off sliced watermelon to the new neighbor.
— Cassie Patillo is a pastor’s wife and mother to three kids living in Chesnee, S.C. She served in student ministry for over a decade and now serves as a Women’s Ministry Catalyst, Bible teacher, and writer. Her favorite place to serve is her local church, where she leads the women’s ministry and small groups, and opens her home to church members and more.
