An Open Heart, An Open Home

Hospitality is one of the great themes that runs throughout Scripture. From Abraham welcoming strangers, to Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners, to the early Church gathering around shared tables, God's people have always been recognised by the way they make room for others.

On Sunday at Café Church we explored the story of Lydia in Acts 16:11-15. At first glance, Lydia seems an unlikely person to become such an important figure in the growth of the early Church. She was a successful businesswoman from Thyatira who traded in expensive purple cloth. Yet Luke doesn't focus on her success or status. Instead, he draws our attention to two things.

First, "the Lord opened her heart" to respond to Paul's message.

Then, Lydia opened her home.

Those two actions are inseparable. God's welcome transformed Lydia's life, and that transformation overflowed into the way she welcomed others. The hospitality she offered was not simply good manners or generous entertaining. It became part of God's mission. Her home became a place where believers gathered, were encouraged and where the Church in Philippi began to take root.

Hospitality, then, is far more than inviting people round for dinner. It is making room in our lives for others because God has first made room for us through Christ.

One of the values we have been reflecting on as a Leadership Team is: we choose to Make Room. It is a simple phrase, but one with profound theological meaning. God has made room for us through the forgiveness of our sins and enabled us to join His family through Jesus. As those who have received such grace, we are called to make room for others, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Making room begins with our attitude before it ever becomes an action. If we arrive at church asking, "What am I going to get today?" we can easily overlook those whom God has brought through our doors. But if we arrive expecting God to be at work, we begin to notice opportunities to encourage, welcome and serve.

During the service, I shared a story told by the Rev. Lynn Green, General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. I spoke about the importance of expectation, coming together believing that God is already at work among us and that every gathering could be the moment someone encounters Jesus for the first time. That expectation changes the way we see people. Visitors are no longer interruptions to our routine, they are people whom God loves and may be drawing to Himself.

Hospitality also requires curiosity.

Rather than immediately finding our closest friends each Sunday, we can intentionally notice those who are on their own. We can sit with someone different, ask questions, listen well and take a genuine interest in their story. Hospitality begins not with having all the right answers, but with caring enough to know someone's name and hear something of their life.

There are many simple ways we can practice hospitality on a Sunday morning:

• Arrive a little earlier so there is time to welcome others rather than rushing in at the last minute.

• Introduce yourself to someone you have not met before.

• Sit alongside someone who is on their own.

• Invite someone to join you for tea and coffee after the service.

• Learn and remember people's names.

• Include newcomers in conversations rather than allowing them to stand alone.

• Pray that God would help you notice the people He wants you to encourage.

Hospitality does not end when the service finishes.

Throughout the week we can continue making room for others by inviting neighbours for coffee, sharing a meal with friends, checking in on someone who may be lonely, offering practical help or simply taking time to listen. Opening our homes remains a wonderful expression of Christian hospitality, while always exercising wisdom and following appropriate safeguarding practices. Yet we can also open our calendars, our conversations and our everyday lives. Hospitality is not primarily about our houses, it is about our hearts.

Lydia reminds us that the Church often grows through ordinary acts of faithful welcome. One open heart led to one open home. One open home became a place where the gospel took root and lives were transformed.

Perhaps the question Acts 16 leaves us with is not simply, "Who could I invite into my home?" but, "Where is God asking me to make room for others?"

May we become a church that reflects the generous welcome we have first received from Christ, making room for those who are searching, those who are struggling and those who have yet to discover the life that is found in Him.