I imagine you are probably reading this because you care about hospitality and want to host in this season of your life. Friend, that’s just awesome. I think hospitality is a more significant part of our faith than we even realize. Let’s be real, though; hospitality is not practiced in our modern churches well. The extravagant hospitality and generosity we see in the book of Acts and the early church in general seems almost unreal, yet it is the blueprint for how we, today, should be expressing our faith. Somehow cults seem to have a monopoly on hospitality. They’re beyond generous, they make the best food and if you need a place to crash, they got you! I kid of course…but also, not! That's a whole other blog post! BUT seriously, if you have the capacity, let’s practice the art of hospitality with what you have in this season. You don’t need a new couch, cloth napkins or a stocked fridge. Turn off your social media, don’t be tempted to compare your home, decor or your grocery budget to the rest of the world. There are more important things to consider: All the science, all the articles, all the podcasts keep reiterating the same thing - we are a lonely generation. Perhaps the loneliest. I think we loved the high of early social media thinking and dreaming it would make us closer, but in fact it is doing the opposite. What we need is more in person, life-on-life. What people want is to be invited over. What we all long for is, home. How can you curate a home that helps people feel and know that they belong at your table? It won’t be perfect but there’s so much potential for closeness, beauty and encouragement as we sojourn on. So while we wait for the Lord’s return, let us be found waiting with our lamps lit, gathered together weeping with those who weep and rejoicing with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15). And if you need gathering ideas this post is for you…

Gathering ideas for your midwinter 2026:

Drink Exchange + Tasting Party: I love special drinks. Don’t you?! I just like holding a can of something good, ya know? However, I’m not eager to buy extra fun drinks (with grocery prices rising the way they are), unless I’m 100% in love with it. So let’s make a drink exchange + Tasting Party! What: Bring a half a dozen to a dozen of your favorite canned beverages for a tasting party! If you want to do a thrifty, hot beverage version of this you could ask people to sign up to bring a crock-pot full of their best hot cocoa, wassail, chai latte, or hot teas, etc. To keep it “green,” pals could bring glass jars to bring home a few drinks as well! Why: Cause we love drinking but we are not going back to the beer crawl season.

Special Prayer Night: I heard a beautiful story a few months ago: A friend-of-a-friend was going through a terrible season. Just the worst. And my friend was a part of a group of ladies who decided to host this suffering saint to lay hands on her and pray for her. I heard it was the most biblical scene my friend had ever been a part of. A group of women gathering together in the night who first just wept together. They grieved well with their friend and then they began a time of prayer for her and on her behalf because she was unable to pray herself. Perhaps one day you will also be able to bless a friend in need in this way.

Pantry Purge + Food Drive: I think many of us are coming off some wonderful holiday spirit, but the truth is for us midwest kids the winter has just begun. It is good and right to think of those who have no home to rest in or are deeply food insecure. What better way to continue the giving season than to host a pantry purge party and donate to your local food pantry, little free food pantry, or local homeless shelter (I recommend contacting your local food pantry OR homeless shelter and inquire of what they actually need before dropping off). Food waste is a huge issue but perhaps this could be a new seasonal tradition of making sure you and your friends’ food does not go to waste but is shared with those who have real need.

Cook Book Exchange + Dinner Party: Bring your most beloved cookbook and one dish from that cookbook to share. You can have people screen shot the recipes from the various cook books OR if you have a paper-loving group ask each participant to print out enough copies for each of the guests attending. This can be as casual or as formal as you want it to be, too! Paper or china plates? Tablescape or just a scented candle to set the mood. I personally love a dress whether it’s formal or informal so all the guests are on the same page about attire. It can be as low key as sweats OR everyone sporting their best winter dresses. Make it your own!

House Calls: People don’t have to come to you to experience your hospitality and generosity. The cold weather months can be very isolating especially for our elderly population. This season, consider who you should check in on. Is there a widow, or elderly couple you know from your church who you know would love a visit? Perhaps this is something you’ve never done. Great! Let this be your first. Grab a friend, reach out to the person you’re gonna meet and pop in for a little visit. When I was a child I loved making house calls with my dad. There was one widow I remember specifically who liked me and I liked her! She would ask me questions and she allowed me to touch her face! Which upon reflection as an adult was a very gracious thing to allow me (at the time 5 or 6) something to do to an 80 year old woman! She was very wrinkly and very kind. It was a significant point of connection for her I believe and for me as a small child and to think about how my dad made time and space to visit a woman who was old and poor.

Weekend Brunch: I have observed over the years that I most enjoy weekend brunches with friends during the family season. Here is why you should consider hosting brunch: 1. Everyone loves breakfast foods (this is an automatic win when you have to feed kids + those picky eaters). 2. The best hours of the day for a young family are the morning before noon. 3. Saturday morning cartoons! Just kidding I don’t even know if Saturday morning cartoons even exist anymore but regardless you should turn a show on for the kids. You heard me right. If you are hosting a midwinter brunch and you’ve got littles, let them enjoy a communal morning show with their buddies. Make a little intentional space so you can also connect with your people. Will you still be interrupted by a small weeping child, probably, but it will be less crazy at least for a bit.

Happy gathering in 2026

Love,

Sarah