Something wonderfully life-giving happens when people share a meal. Even when people don’t know each other very well, the conversation often unfolds in ways that allow them to know each other better…deeper. And when the meal is finished, they leave the table filled, not just in their bellies but also in their hearts.  They have been welcomed, invited into another’s space, and gifted with what they have to offer. It’s generosity they didn’t expect, but gladly receive. They leave warmed with a sense that maybe there’s a place they belong.

In our busy days, it can be challenging to find time to invite people in…the obstacles are plenty.  But what if you have the meal all planned out for you – and what if it’s kept really simple – soup and salad.  What if you don’t even have to think of the questions to ask as you sit down to eat?  Would that make a difference?  Clear some of the obstacles? That’s why we’ve created  “An Invitation to Hospitality,” a series that will not just whet your appetite to invite people in, but give you what you need to do it.

We would love for you to experience the rich blessing of offering just what you have and seeing how God might deepen life around your table.

But it doesn’t end there.  Your purchase of Gather for a Simple Meal–An Invitation to Hospitality Vol. 1 for a donation of $20 will cover the cost of a day retreat for one global worker at the Budapest Garden House – a place where weary workers experience time and space to rest and reconnect with both friends and God.

Advent. A time that marks both a look back and a look forward. A time to remember, reflect on and reaffirm God’s place in our lives and our place in His. In the quietness of our hearts, we enter this sacred time. We share it in community as we gather to light each week’s candle.