Testimonies from You

The Hospitality of Need is all about caring for one another and seeing our needs, not as barriers or burdens, but as tools to grow deeper in fellowship with one another and with God.

We would love to hear from you! If you have read the book, please take some time to consider how you have experienced the hospitality of need in your own life and community. Then share your story with us here in the comments, and see what others have said as well. If you haven’t read the book yet, we would love for you to pick up a copy and join the conversation. In the meantime, please feel free to read through the comments below. We hope you are encouraged by these testimonies.

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Thank you for being a part of the story!

From your friends,

Kevan Chandler and Tommy Shelton
Authors of The Hospitality of Need

34 responses to “Testimonies from You”

Zach

May 29, 2025

Kevan is my oldest friend, and I am better off because of it. From those early days chasing each other in church, through our awkward teenage years, and now into adulthood, the effect that his friendship has had on me has been immeasurably good.
Those who have had the chance to help with Kevan’s physical needs often speak of how caring for him has helped them more than him. Far from being some clichéd platitude, this sentiment is an apt and heartfelt description of the nature of this relationship. When I first learned to help Kevan with the bathroom and shower, it was unavoidably awkward. Soon, however, that discomfort gave way to the realization that those moments offered an invaluable chance at vulnerability that no emotional façade could stand against. It allowed us the opportunity to be honest with one another; for in that environment (whether a familiar bathroom or a grimy stall in some far-flung gas station), there was no need to put on a mask or maintain pretensions. Some of our best conversations happened in those moments, and the experience has taught me how to be vulnerable with someone else in a healthy way.
Yet, it’s not just the individual moments with Kevan that have been impactful, but rather it is the faithful decades of friendship that have affected me the most. I know all too well that I am not the easiest person to love, but Kevan’s insistence on being my friend has made an indelible mark on my soul. It is easy to see how my loud, rash, and impulsive nature would clash with Kevan’s quiet, calm, and thoughtful demeanor. Yet, throughout the years, he has consistently remained on my side, demonstrating a stubborn love that I have come to believe.

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Through engaging real-life stories, Kevan Chandler and Tommy Shelton share what can happen when we invite others into our lives—hardships and all. Ultimately, this is a book about friendship . . . the kind that God has called us to live in . . . friendship that goes deep and flourishes, not in spite of our needs but actually through them.

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