A few weeks ago, we had a women’s event at our church, and I was asked to host a workshop on Biblical Hospitality.

I’ll be honest… the words tablescape and balloon arch make me break out in a sweat. I feed my family dinner on paper plates about 98% of the time, and Pinterest-worthy entertaining has never really been my gift.

But gathering people? That I love.

The reason is simple: other people’s hospitality changed my life.

When I was pregnant with my second son and we were told he had only a 50% chance of survival, the women in my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group became the hands and feet of Jesus. They brought meals, prayed with me, checked on me, and reminded me I wasn’t walking through that season alone.

Years later, when we adopted three children, our church family brought us dinner every single week for more than six months while we found our new normal. Again, it was the hands and feet of Jesus.

I know my story isn’t unique.

So many of us can point to a season of heartbreak, loneliness, or uncertainty when someone simply opened their home, dropped off a meal, invited us to coffee, or sat beside us in our pain. Those seemingly small acts of kindness often become the moments God uses to remind us that He sees us and loves us.

That’s biblical hospitality.

It isn’t entertaining people to impress them.

It’s welcoming people into your life for the glory of God.

That was the heart behind our one-hour workshop. We wanted women to leave feeling inspired—not overwhelmed—to open both their homes and their hearts in the name of Jesus.

Our Hospitality Workshop

One thing that made this workshop so much easier was that I co-hosted it with a friend. We brainstormed ideas together, divided the responsibilities, and had so much fun putting everything together.

The Hospitality Gift Bags

We wanted every woman to leave with something practical that would encourage her to host her next gathering.

We started with simple brown paper gift bags that we cut to look like aprons—such an easy DIY! We hot-glued a pocket to the front and tucked in a few fun kitchen-themed goodies.

Each bag included:

• A small polk-a-dot gift
• A mini hand towel tied with twine
• A homemade cookie wrapped in a clear bag
• A small wrapped bar of hand soap
• Coffee candies
• A set of printable conversation cards
• A printable gift tag
• A small kitchen item to put in the “pocket”- mini cheese graters or mini tongs or mini forks/spoons

If you want to recreate these for your own church event or small group, I’ve linked everything we used below.

Free Printables

I’ve also included the free downloads we created for the workshop.

• Conversation Cards
• Gift Bag Label
• Participant Handout

Feel free to print and use them for your own women’s ministry, Bible study, or neighborhood gathering.

Simple Refreshments

We kept refreshments easy with Sparkling Pink Grapefruit Drinks (our women loved these) and a few light snacks. Nothing fancy—just enough for everyone to enjoy while we talked.

Because hospitality isn’t about perfection.

It’s about making people feel welcome.

Our One-Hour Workshop Schedule

0:00–0:10 | Welcome Them Like They’re Coming to Your House

Rather than beginning behind a podium, we wanted the room to feel like walking into someone’s home.

• Greet women at the door.
• Play soft background music.
• Offer coffee, water, or light snacks.
• Sit around tables or in a circle instead of classroom-style seating.
• Begin with gratitude.

We also wrote these introductions on the whiteboard:

Introduce yourself by sharing:

• Your name
• One person who made you feel welcomed
• One word that comes to mind when you hear the word hospitality

This immediately invited everyone into the conversation.

0:10–0:20 | Sharing Our Stories

My co-host and I each shared a brief testimony about how hospitality has impacted our own faith journeys and why opening our homes has become such an important part of following Jesus.

0:20–0:35 | Biblical Teaching

We focused on three simple truths:

Hospitality Begins with the Gospel
Ephesians 2:12–13, 19

Hospitality Is Ministry, Not Entertaining
Romans 12:13

Hospitality Is Stewardship
1 Peter 4:9–10

0:35–0:50 | Round Table Discussion

This ended up being my favorite part of the entire workshop.

There is so much wisdom sitting around a table when women begin sharing their experiences.

Everyone received a handout with these discussion questions:

1. Tell us about someone who modeled biblical hospitality for you. What made you feel so welcomed?
2. What keeps women from practicing hospitality today?
3. What’s one gathering you’ve hosted—or attended—that was especially meaningful? What made it memorable?
4. What’s your best hospitality hack? Share something that saves time, reduces stress, or makes hosting easier.
5. Who could use an invitation to your table this month? Who is on your heart to welcome and bless?

0:50–1:00 | Sharing and Prayer

We wrapped up by sharing practical ideas we had learned from one another, praying together, and encouraging each woman to take one small step toward practicing biblical hospitality.

We closed with Hebrews 13:2, reminding ourselves that opening our homes can become an opportunity for God to work in ways we may never expect.

One of My Best Hospitality Hacks: Keep a List of Go-To Recipes

One of the questions we asked during our round-table discussion was:

“What’s your best hospitality hack?”

Mine was simple: Have a handful of go-to recipes you know by heart.

The less mental energy you spend figuring out what to serve, the more energy you have to focus on the people sitting around your table.

At Stay Fit Mom, we’ve created dozens of recipes that are perfect for serving a crowd. Many of them can be made in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on a flat-top grill, which means less time in the kitchen and more time connecting with your guests.

Some of my favorite recipes for hosting include:

• Mississippi Chicken Sandwiches
• Grandma Nino’s Spaghetti Sauce
• French Dip Sandwiches
• Dump Lasagna
• Tikka Masala
• Sesame Orange Chicken
• Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes
• Smash Tacos

The best part? Most of these recipes can be prepped ahead of time, making them perfect for busy families, church gatherings, or simply inviting another family over for dinner.

Remember, people won’t remember whether your table was perfectly decorated. They’ll remember how you made them feel.

Final Thoughts

If there’s one thing I hope every woman walked away with, it’s this:

You don’t need the perfect home, the perfect menu, or the perfect decorations to practice biblical hospitality.

You simply need an open heart.

God isn’t asking us to impress people.

He’s inviting us to welcome them.

I hope these printables and ideas inspire your next women’s gathering, Bible study, or dinner around the table. My prayer is that the people who walk through your front door leave feeling seen, loved, and welcomed—just as Christ has welcomed us.