This past Sunday, we talked about how hospitality isn’t just a good idea...it’s a Gospel calling. We looked at how God has welcomed us in Christ and how we, in turn, are called to make room for others.
But after the message, a couple of great questions came up:
What if I don't have the ability to invite someone over? What if I want to open my home, but my spouse isn’t on board?
I want to take a moment to encourage you if you’re in this place.
Hospitality is a Posture, Not a Location
For some, opening your home feels challenging right now. Maybe your spouse isn’t on the same page, or your living situation isn’t ideal. Maybe life feels chaotic in this season, and the idea of hosting others feels overwhelming. If that’s you, hear this - hospitality isn’t about perfection, and it’s not limited to your home. There is grace to start where you are. Hospitality isn’t about a location - it’s about a posture. It’s about creating space for people to feel seen, valued, and welcomed. That can happen in a home, but it can also happen in a coffee shop, a restaurant, or over a lunch break at work.
There's something special about sharing a meal or a cup of coffee with someone - no matter where it happens. Food and drink have a way of breaking down barriers, disarming walls, and allowing conversation to unfold naturally. When we slow down, sit across from someone, and share in something as simple as a meal, we create space for real connection.
So if opening your home isn’t an option right now, that’s okay. You can still live a life of hospitality by intentionally inviting people into your rhythms—meeting for breakfast, grabbing coffee, or simply making time for real conversation in places where life already happens.
Why We Opened The Pinery
This is one of the reasons why we felt called to open The Pinery Coffee Co.
From the very beginning, we saw the coffee shop as more than a business - we saw it as a place for true hospitality. A place where conversations could happen, where strangers could become friends, and where people who might never step into a church gathering could experience Gospel-centered community in an everyday setting.
We believed (and still believe) that hospitality doesn’t just happen inside homes—it happens in the everyday rhythms of life.
But Hospitality in the Home Still Matters
Now, with all that said, there’s something incredible about opening your home. While hospitality can happen anywhere, the home is where the realness of life is best displayed.
A coffee shop can be a great place to connect, but it’s still a neutral space - a shared public setting where people often present a curated version of themselves. The home, however, is where real life happens.
It’s where people see the beauty of authenticity—the kids running through the living room, the laundry pile in the corner, the imperfections that make life real.
It’s where we invite people not just into a moment, but into our actual lives.
It’s where the walls come down, and people see us as we truly are—not polished or put-together, but welcoming them into the everyday rhythms of life.
Rosaria Butterfield says it this way in The Gospel Comes with a House Key:
“Our homes are not museums—they are incubators and hospitals. They are places where people gather, and life happens. Stop being afraid of the mess.”
There’s something incredibly disarming and healing about being welcomed into someone’s home—not to be impressed, but to be included.
This is why The Table at Your Table is such an important shift for us as a church. We’re not just trying to create events - we’re trying to create spaces where people can experience the realness of Gospel community.
The Grace to Start Where You Are
So here’s the encouragement:
If you can open your home, do it. Not because you have to have it all together, but because people need real, authentic spaces to experience love and belonging.
If your home isn’t an option right now, don’t let that stop you—make room wherever you can. Hospitality can happen over coffee, in a restaurant, or in the places where life already happens.
Whatever you do, make room. Not just for food and conversation, but for people to be seen, known, and loved.
What ever you do...
“Live a life that demands a Gospel explanation.”
That doesn’t require a perfect house or even a house at all. It just requires a heart that says, “God, I’m available.”
What Can You Do This Week?
If home hospitality feels overwhelming, who can you invite to coffee or lunch?
If your spouse isn’t on board with hosting, how can you still cultivate hospitality in small, personal ways?
If you feel limited by time, space, or resources, how might God be asking you to take a step of faith anyway?
Let's be a church family that lives in a way that demands a Gospel explanation. Let’s open our lives, share our tables - wherever they may be - and invite others to experience the love of Jesus.
Who is God calling you to make room for this week?
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