Bill and Betty were a sweet couple in our church. Several years ago, Betty and I were involved in a mentoring group where she was my mentor.

Our times together were encouraging. Yet they were nothing elaborate. Betty just simply invited me into her home for conversation each week. We shared coffee and some of Bill’s fabulous desserts. He was quite the cook!

Just a few years ago, they both went to be with the Lord just 1 day apart. When I heard of their deaths, I was sad; however, God reminded me of their gracious hospitality and encouragement when I needed it the most.

He also reminded me that I need to find someone to whom I can show hospitality. I have such a great example of what that looks like, so I have no excuse. Will you join me in showing hospitality to someone today?

I don’t have one of those buttons you could push that says, “That was easy!” Sometimes it is not an easy task to find all of the leaders you need in your preschool area at church. Especially at this time of year, churches are looking for leaders to fill all of the teaching positions for the new church year. What can you do to make it easier to find leaders for Mission Friends^®? Here are some tips for finding leaders.

• Pray first of all. Begin with prayer that God would lead you to new leaders who have a heart for preschoolers.

• Follow your church’s procedure for securing new leaders. Your church may have a nominating committee who contacts prospective leaders, you might work with the WMU director of your church, or there may be a staff person for you to work with, such as minister of education or preschool minister.

• Be positive in asking people to serve. Present this as an opportunity to be part of your church’s preschool ministry. Help them to know how teaching makes an eternal difference in the lives of preschoolers.

I’m usually confused when I see hospitality listed as one of the spiritual gifts. The others seem more tied to spirituality and ministry. The gifts of discernment, encouragement, and leadership are so obviously linked with the Holy Spirit and the daily Christian walk that the gift of hospitality, for me, seems only distantly related.

The idea of outstanding hospitality in our global culture is so foreign that I have stopped expecting it from others and even stopped focusing on it myself. It was only on a short trip to Ireland that I learned hospitality means something more than simply maintaining a house.

Over the course of a week while studying abroad, 2 friends and I took a road trip through the Irish countryside and then ended up in Dublin for a few days. Overall, the Irish people were welcoming and kind enough, but we were not expecting the hospitality we received.