Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64Paul was the astute proprietor and genial host at Tennessee’s storied Whitestone Country Inn, repeatedly voted one of the top 10 most romantic B&Bs in North America. He was also the founder of the Christian Hospitality Network (CHN), a nexus of inns, lodges, rental cottages, and like venues all run by Christians for the purpose of ministering through the gift of hospitality. CHN was the organization that launched the idea of “missionary getaways.” Paul would annu- ally rent a four-star resort somewhere in the world and invite up to 300 career missionaries to come at no charge for four days of wellness therapeutics, pampering, and play. Everyone left restored and genuinely encouraged. (It was my honor to select the venues and run quite a few of those events for CHN.) I learned from Paul that there is a distinct dif- ference between entertaining and hospitality. I also learned that hospitality actually has three levels. Entertaining L et’s first look at entertaining. It is a nice custom, but a concept that has presenta- tion overtones, making it as much about displaying yourself—house, family, or accomplish- ments—as serving someone else. That presenta- tion aspect shows up in statements such as: “As soon as we get the carpets shampooed, we’ll have a game night and invite our friends.” Or maybe: “As soon as I perfect that lamb chop recipe, we’ll invite that new family at church over for dinner.” Entertaining is mostly about inviting people into your house. Hospitality, on the other hand, is about inviting people into your life. True Christian hospitality doesn’t really mind if the dishes aren’t done or the mail is scattered on the counter or the pillows on the couch aren’t fully fluffed. It centers on the needs of others. Every- thing else is incidental. Levels of Hospitality T o understand the levels of hospitality, we have to understand the recipients. The first level is common hospitality. It is extended to people with whom we already have an affinity and a safe connection point: the same church, the same place of employment, the same gym, or the same neighborhood. Trust is high. The risks are minimal. Both parties have something to gain. Nevertheless, extending hospitality at this level is a praiseworthy virtue and an excellent avenue for ministry. The risk level rises a bit when one engages in the next level, called uncommon hospitality— engaging with people with whom there may be a loose connection but no natural simpatico. Trust is a bit lower. One party has much more to gain than the other. Judi and I took in the teenage son of distant cousin for a season. My father’s side of the family was not close; the cousin was basically an acquaintance. Her son had behavioral issues that she was not equipped to handle. We assessed the risks and decided that providing a temporary place for him was something we should do. We 18 WWW.AGRM.ORG MARCH/APRIL 2017 Entertaining is mostly about inviting people into your house. Hospitality, on the other hand, is about inviting people into your life.