Hospitality Evangelism (Acts 28:30-31)

Hospitality Evangelism is the act of transforming your home into a venue for ministering to people. It is intentionally organizing your dwelling, whether it be dorm-room, apartment, house, or estate, to be able to welcome and refresh people at the drop of a hat. A home that is truly a welcoming place is the extension of a heart that is truly hospitable and does not consider sheltering others a burden. In this, hospitality evangelism is a two step process: The disciple of Jesus needs first to have the zeal for hospitality and servitude in their heart, then they will be able to organize their home and create a welcoming, life-giving atmosphere where ministry and evangelism can occur.

A Welcoming Heart...
The first place we need to look at if we want to practice hospitality evangelism is the heart. In everyday normal life, does the Lord move you to take the low road, become the servant, descend into nothingness and submission so that others can be exalted, refreshed, honored, pleased, or served? Whoever wants to become great must become the servant, the slave to all (Mark 10:42-45). Do you take the opportunities the Lord highlights to you? Do you serve in the now by doing that one thing that won't be pleasant for you, but you know will bless the socks off of the other person? The small act of servitude is the seed, consistency is the water, and hospitality of heart is the tree that springs forth in strength, allowing others to come and find rest in the shade. At the core of true hospitality is strong servitude and selflessness.
Also in the center of good hospitality is a godly host or hostess, one who is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good deeds, impartial, and sincere (James 3:17). These are the standards that we expect from a server in any restaurant. Should we not go above and beyond in performance as we serve people the Bread of Life?
Practically, a good host/hostess is one who can put people at ease. They are patient, kind, content, modest, humble, polite, selfless, not easily angered, forgiving, truthful, ready to protect others, trusting, hopeful, and persevering (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). 

 A Welcoming Home...
Some ideas to set you up for success in hospitality evangelism are written below. I have a few years of hospitality training under my belt by virtue of the food industry, and have simply taken the standards applied to a restaurant and put them in a domestic context:

~Keep the Home Clean: Duh, right? I'm not your mother.

~Interior Design with Hospitality in Mind: This could mean transforming a room into a guest bedroom for those with larger houses or perhaps empty-nesters. You could even transform the master bedroom into the guest bedroom so that your guests have the adjacent bathroom right by them. It could also mean organizing your living room in order to host small-groups, engage in one-on-one ministry, or refresh travelers at a moments notice. If you're living in a studio apartment, simply have an area with some comfortable seating for both you and your guest.

~Learn the Art of Atmosphere: Atmosphere is a combination of sights, smells, sounds, textures, and placements that complement each other well. You wouldn't expect to hear Slayer being played in the background of a romantic Italian restaurant because it's not fitting for the atmosphere. The question is, what is the atmosphere you are trying to create? Regardless of the atmosphere, include the following: sight (cleanliness, organization, well-lit or low-lighting), smells (a candle or perhaps the scent of delicious cooking), sounds (music in the background or ambiance noise), textures (thick fluffy blankets in a cold winter's night perhaps), and placements (bookshelves, boardgames, a full set of armor, a fireplace, seating close together or far apart). One thing, such as a fireplace, can accomplish multiple aspects of the desired ambiance (sight, smell, sound).

~Have Beverages and H'orderves Ready for Serving: This seems really simple and easy to downplay, but think about how refreshing it would be if you were welcomed into someone's home, were given a seat in a comfortable chair and handed a bowl of freshly cut fruit or perhaps homemade kettle-cooked potato chips! Nom! Have comfortable seating in close enough proximity to the kitchen that you can easily step out to get them a drink and a snack without having to break the conversation or yell across the house.
In Middle-Eastern culture, it's proper etiquette to refuse any offers of food or beverage when you're visiting someone, to which the host will respond by bringing them anyway. It is then proper etiquette for you to select something that they brought to serve you. 
"Do you want something to drink?"
"No, but thank you."
"We have juice, soda, or water."
"I'll take juice please, thank you," is a normal interaction. The point is that your guest will most likely refuse if you ask them directly, so just bring out some finger-food (when and if the situation calls for it) and partake in some yourself while offering it to them also. Present it in such a way as to avoid them thinking that you're going to eat that whole tray of deviled eggs by yourself right in front of them :)

~Learn the Art of Conversation: Learn how to become a great conversationalist. Make people feel comfortable with your words. Have you ever spent time with someone who was easy to talk to? You may have just met them five seconds ago, but you feel comfortable with opening up to them and they just know how to make a conversation relaxed and enjoyable. I submit unto you that good conversationalists know how to effectively do these things: they know how to break the ice by simply talking about things both people can understand or by bringing up something light-hearted (it's not a sin to talk about the weather), they know how to ask questions that will get the other person talking (such as what the other person does for fun or perhaps what they do for a living), they know how to share the conversation by talking about their interests and also giving the other person the chance to talk about what interests them (this keeps the conversation from turning into an interrogation or a monologue), they stay on topic, they aren't easily upset, they listen well, and they aren't afraid to be cut off by the other person and won't take offense at it.
Conversation makes or breaks the hospitality experience, so learn to be a good entertainer, a good storyteller, a good listener, and a good counselor.

A Bold Witness...
The motivation behind all of this hospitality comes down to a desire to share the Gospel with people. In Acts 28:30-31, we see Paul the Apostle living in his home, welcoming those who come to him. That's the hospitality part. The Evangelism part is found in that he was "proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance" (ESV). Biblical boldness does not mean being proud, rude, arrogant, easily angered, or quick to talk over the other person. On the contrary, The Lord's servant must not quarrel, must be gentle with everyone, able to teach, and patient while instructing others in gentleness and respect and being quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (2 Timothy 2:24-25; 1 Peter 3:16; James 1:19). As you welcome people into your own home, you are doing so to show them an environment ruled by the love of Christ, and you have more freedom to tell them about the Gospel that's transformed your life. 
It seems that Biblical boldness in sharing Jesus isn't so much about volume as much as honesty, honestly telling someone of your love for God and how God has made a way for us through the Sacrifice of the Messiah. Don't be timid. What are they going to do, kick you out? 

See Also:
~Romans 12:13
~1 Peter 4:9-10
~Matthew 25:34-40
~Matthew 20: 25-28

Job Description: A Philosophy on Missions

I have been preparing for missions ever since I graduated High School in 2006, starting off unwitting diligence with ministry internships which eventually lead me to Biblical and cross-cultural training at BCOM. Throughout college, I was impassioned for the Gospel, the Great Commission, and the unreached peoples of the earth. Passion is usually what we see in missionaries, and passion is essential. There is, however, another thing that all missionaries need as much as passion: Planning.

Every worker of the Gospel, no matter if they're in Marseille, France or Brownsville, Ohio, needs a plan. The unspoken question of, "So, Jarred, what will you actually... do with your time?" must be answered. It must be understood by the Senders that my family and I aren't going to Marseille for vacation, but for the important work of laboring for the Gospel. It is my desire to be open with the various activities that will make up my 40-45 hour work week, that those who send may be encouraged by our faithfulness, that fellow missionaries may be exhorted by our intentionality, and that we may be strengthened by your accountability.

To-Do:

Here is a list of the various activities I will engage in as a pastor/teacher:

~Prayer This is not an exhaustive time of extreme isolation, but rather taking time with others every day to intercede for the French people.
~Communication Skills This involves reading French books and taking language classes to develop a robust French vernacular. This will also include Learning Arabic via Rosetta Stone.
~Preparing to Teach Studying the Scriptures in order to be thoroughly versed in the Bible as well as reading a broad variety of subjects in order to be a competent teacher.
~Individual Meetings Sitting down with Christians in order to encourage them in the faith and with non-Christians in order to share the Gospel with them.
~Developing Discipleship Curriculum Blogging devotionals as well as designing and printing Bible study handouts for small-groups.
~Hosting/Facilitating Small-groups Welcoming people into our home as well as the homes of other believers for teaching, worship, communion, fellowship, and prayer.
~Assisting Fellow Missionaries Taking time every week to lend a hand to my fellow missionaries in whatever ministry they're participating in.
~Updating Senders This includes but is not limited to writing letters, emails, post cards, Facebook updates, and video chatting via Google Hangout.

There is more that we can put on the list, undoubtedly, but this is a clear job description of what we will be doing during the week. As a teacher, I will dress as a teacher and conduct myself as one too, having in mind my mission while in France: To teach the Bible and to preach the Gospel. This will take many forms, but I am a teacher in the end and will answer as such when asked what it is that I do.

It is our prayer that us practicing excellence, integrity, professionalism, and faithfulness will encourage all to do everything possible to schedule their time with the Kingdom in mind.
Grace to you.