Hospitality Matters

How does hospitality shape who we are as Christians, and how should we extend this hospitable love toward others? In this resource, we'll look at how biblical hospitality plays out in Christian homes-for women and men-and how we might consider our small acts of hospitable love as larger participation in God's plan to see disciples of Jesus be made and welcomed into the household of faith. We hope that you might begin to consider what it looks like for you, no matter your season, to begin shaping your home and life toward a hospitable aim.

Create a culture of radical hospitality that surprises and delights guests beyond their expectations. Engaging worship and intentional follow-up processes are important, but what compels guests to return to our churches is the warmth of our welcome and hospitality that goes beyond their expectations. In The Art of Hospitality, Yvonne Gentile and Debi Nixon guide you and your church creating radical hospitality that infiltrates the heart and culture of the entire congregation. Complete with key principles and proven techniques and strategies, this compelling and practical program will transform the way you do church, leaving guests surprised, delighted, and eager to return. This Revised Edition includes new insights and strategies for effective hospitality and welcome in all aspects of your digital and in-person ministry. This book is for pastors and other leaders in the church. Choose the Companion Book for everyone else in the congregation.

Why write about hospitality? In a world full of problems, run-away technologies, and violence, why focus on something as basic as hospitality? The answer is twofold: (1) We believe that hospitality, like kindness, really does matter; and (2) we believe that hospitality is becoming a lost art. All of us know something about hospitality. We remember the smell of our Italian grandmother's spaghetti sauce on Sunday afternoon. We recall the pink bakery boxes with the white string that cluttered the kitchen counter in the homes of our Polish aunts. And on a deeper level, some of us remember the images of Mother Teresa of Calcutta carrying a dying person into her home to care for him. And for sure, these smells and sights speak of hospitality. But in our often hostile world, our culture is getting worse at understanding and living out a true sense of welcoming. Despite the best efforts of Martha Stewart, sincere hospitality is getting more difficult to live. What Martha Stewart and the folks at HGTV and the food network are teaching us is the art of entertaining, not welcoming. We have written this book to encourage ourselves and others to take a fresh look at how well we are doing being true hosts. Every person, family, ministry, business, and church community needs to evaluate their efforts honestly and not simply presume they are receiving an "A" for "awesome" when it comes to anticipating the needs of others. Read, reflect, re-evaluate, and re-commit to turning our world of hostility into a world with a new spirit and understanding of hospitality. We welcome you to Kindness Matters and we hope that what we share in this book, and the discussion it may provoke, will matter to you and your family. May the world be a better place because we have welcomed each other into our hearts.

The bestselling business book from award-winning restauranteur Danny Meyer, of Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, and Shake Shack Seventy-five percent of all new restaurant ventures fail, and of those that do stick around, only a few become icons. Danny Meyer started Union Square Cafe when he was 27, with a good idea and hopeful investors. He is now the co-owner of a restaurant empire. How did he do it? How did he beat the odds in one of the toughest trades around? In this landmark book, Danny shares the lessons he learned developing the dynamic philosophy he calls Enlightened Hospitality. The tenets of that philosophy, which emphasize strong in-house relationships as well as customer satisfaction, are applicable to anyone who works in any business. Whether you are a manager, an executive, or a waiter, Danny’s story and philosophy will help you become more effective and productive, while deepening your understanding and appreciation of a job well done. Setting the Table is landmark a motivational work from one of our era’s most gifted and insightful business leaders.

Too few Christians today, says Joshua Jipp, understand hospitality to strangers and the marginalized as an essential part of the church's identity. In this book Jipp argues that God's relationship to his people is fundamentally an act of hospitality to strangers, and that divine and human hospitality together are thus at the very heart of Christian faith. Jipp first provides a thorough interpretation of the major biblical texts related to the practice of hospitality to strangers, considering especially how these texts portray Christ as the divine host who extends God's welcome to all people. Jipp then invites readers to consider how God's hospitality sets the pattern for human hospitality, offering suggestions on how the practice of welcoming strangers can guide the church in its engagement with current social challenges--immigration, incarceration, racism, and more.

Reliable advice to help hospitality managers prevent legal problems and avoid litigation. Is an unhappy restaurant guest legally entitled to a refund for food she ate? Is a hotel required to replace money that a guest claims was taken from his room? Can a hospital food and beverage director legally accept a holiday gift from a vendor without threatening her employment status? Hospitality Law, Second Edition provides readers with answers to these questions and more. Packed with interactive exercises as well as up-to-date legal information specific to the hospitality industry, Hospitality Law benefits students by emphasizing preventive legal management and effective decision-making. This Second Edition gives students and managers background on safety and security requirements, disputes with customers, hiring and firing employees, liabilities associated with serving alcohol, and much more, including: New coverage of legal issues in travel and tourism, including those associated with transportation, travel agents, tour operators, gaming, mixed-use, and timeshare properties Newly added real-world legal case summaries that illustrate the practical application of hospitality laws in actual hospitality operations. Each case summary features a "Message to Management" that gives the reader a clear explanation of the impact of the decision on best practices, as well as preventative measures managers can take to limit exposure New coverage of legal issues related to amusement parks and the Internet booking phenomenon New "International Snapshots" offering insights from practicing attorneys and other professionals regarding differences between U.S. and international laws related to hospitality Updated Web exercises and guidance for researching on the Internet Encouraging readers to think critically about legal concepts related to hospitality, Hospitality Law, Second Edition is an indispensable part of every hospitality manager's education.

Unique in its approach, 'Money Matters for Hospitality Managers' is unlike other heavy theoretical accounting texts, using real life scenarios to show managers how it's done. Backed up by a range of exercises and activities, it thus allows managers to put their learning straight into practice - and so to achieve immediate results! 'Money Matters' will actively help managers and employees in the industry to: · learn more about the control aspects in order to become more effective in their work · learn about the business and companies in the wider context · understand where their section of the organization fits in the 'bigger picture' · increase their knowledge and enhance career opportunities Covering an unprecedented range of sectors (including hotels, restaurants, contract catering, leisure tourism, cruise ships and theme parks), the book supplies useful advice for the whole hospitality industry. It is ideal for operational and first line management, for whom it provides a welcome, accessible and hands-on introduction to finance and accounting in their sector.

Unique in its approach, 'Money Matters for Hospitality Managers' is unlike other heavy theoretical accounting texts, using real life scenarios to show managers how it's done. Backed up by a range of exercises and activities, it thus allows managers to put their learning straight into practice - and so to achieve immediate results! 'Money Matters' will actively help managers and employees in the industry to: · learn more about the control aspects in order to become more effective in their work · learn about the business and companies in the wider context · understand where their section of the organization fits in the 'bigger picture' · increase their knowledge and enhance career opportunities Covering an unprecedented range of sectors (including hotels, restaurants, contract catering, leisure tourism, cruise ships and theme parks), the book supplies useful advice for the whole hospitality industry. It is ideal for operational and first line management, for whom it provides a welcome, accessible and hands-on introduction to finance and accounting in their sector.