Extraordinary Hospitality (for Ordinary People)

The thought of hospitality makes some break out in hives and others start dusting off the serving dishes. Whichever you are, you will walk away from this book encouraged, convicted, and with practical insight into how to live out a life of welcome. | I loved this book. I was expecting a guilt-fuelled, task-list-populating, exhaustion-inducing exhortation to be the-host-with-the-most. What I got was a heart-warming, rich and motivating conversation with Carolyn as we dug into the Bible and gloried in the gospel together. Rather than cajole you into dutiful hospitality, this book inspires you to joy-inducing, gospel-rich hospitality. The fruit will be seen in extraordinary hospitality being demonstrated across the church family to the glory of God. | Extraordinary Hospitality (For Ordinary People) fueled my desire to welcome others as Christ so richly welcomes us. Through her display of the greatest act of hospitality, the cross of Christ, Carolyn Lacey winsomely challenges us to humbly sacrifice not only our homes but also our efforts, skills, and time to the One who gave us his very life. | Carolyn’s view is wide, as she encourages us to look beyond our friends to see those in need. Her ideas are creative—I am looking forward to inviting more people here to cook for me! But her goal is so simple: to help us love others humbly and practically, for the glory of God. How liberating! | Deeply theological and refreshingly practical, this book paints the picture of an overflowingly generous God, and seeks to help us be transformed more into his likeness. By taking a wide-angle view of hospitality, this book shows how we can all use our time, energy, home, possessions, talents and words to bless others as God has first blessed us. It is inspiring, challenging, beautifully written and full of grace. | Carolyn Lacey lets in the light of how wonderfully generous God is to us, and so she inspired me to be like him. If you would love to be a cheerful giver, rather than a reluctant one, then read here and in the Bible what God had in mind when he told us to “practise hospitality”. | In this inspiring book, Christian hospitality is beautifully defined and illustrated as the practical expression of God’s generosity to us in Christ. Carolyn helps us see that it is not about perfect homes or fancy cooking but an attitude of the heart that any Christian can put into practice. | Set aside any previous notions of hospitality which may require a four- course meal or beautifully manicured home. Not only will this book encourage you to see tangible and everyday ways that you can be a blessing to those in your sphere of influence; it will also open your eyes to see what a gift, privilege, and joy it is to reflect the hospitality of our Savior. | Hospitability reveals our trust in and confidence upon the grace of God in Christ. In this fantastic book, Carolyn Lacey covers biblical teaching of hospitality in helpful and practical ways that will leave you amazed at the grace of God and equipped to engage in hospitality to others. | What will inspire you to bother with hospitality? Turns out it isn’t getting a new cookbook. We need instead to raise our gaze and explore the wonders of how God has welcomed us in the gospel. This thought-pro- voking book will help you do just that—and then give you lots of creative ideas of how you might begin to reflect God’s “hospitality” in your own. | A gentle and biblical encouragement to show the same generous and indiscriminate welcome to others as God shows to us. Using passages from throughout the Bible, Carolyn Lacey moves us beyond guilt-inducing images of “entertaining” to a gospel-focussed, other-centred ministry of love. | A warm and insightful book on a vital biblical theme. We worship an amazingly generous God and as we practise hospitality we reflect his character. In this pastorally sensitive and biblically balanced book, Carolyn Lacey gives us both a challenge and an encouragement. She anticipates and answers many of the questions that come to mind when we think about hospitality. Soaked in Scripture and full of practical advice, it is highly recommended. | Such a warm, challenging and encouraging book - lunch breaks, Sunday seating, washing up and dinner tables interwoven with glorious gospel truths, all pointing to the ultimate host. A very handy little book! | I really liked that Carolyn described the characteristics of hospitality and didn't make it about a list of things we should do. Her suggestions are practical without being proscriptive. I also really appreciated that she was honest about the cost of gospel-focused hospitality. It is hard to open up our homes and lives in this way. However, it is also wonderfully rewarding and can be used to point others to Jesus. | Carolyn is honest and open with her own experiences which we can all relate to. Extending kindness is not always easy, it can be burdensome, inconvenient and in all honesty not always something we want to do but the focus should always be on Jesus and what it cost Him in showing kindness and mercy to us. | Given an honest assessment of what holds us back from generosity, compassion and serving, leads us to humility, and confession of our pride and selfishness, to turn our hearts toward God’s love and care for others. As we learn to fix our eyes not on ourselves, but on others, we will begin to see opportunities for blessing and encouragement, and enter into them with gratitude. | Carolyn Lacey is a writer, speaker, and pastor’s wife. She serves alongside her husband, Richard, in Worcester, UK, where she works part-time for her church as a women's worker. She teaches the Bible regularly at women's events and conferences, and is a mum to two grown-up children.