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

35 responses to “Testimonies from You”

Sydney

May 16, 2025

We loved our church’s community group. We finally felt settled into our new city because we had found our people. We were part of a group of Christ-followers who were funny, energetic, authentic, vulnerable and intentional about sharing their lives. My husband, Bobby and I were invited into homes that were beautifully decorated and stylish – the types of homes where we were automatically amazed and at the same time compared to our own modest, older home needing a modern renovation. We both shared an unspoken thought of, “we could never have this group over to our house.” The following year, my very perceptive friend, Noel, invited me and Bobby to host that year’s Christmas party. Our immediate reaction was to turn it down because of our insecurities about the current state of our home – old shag contractors carpet, tile countertops, peeling black painted cabinets, and used furniture. Then, Noel pushed in and told us to reconsider because she saw something in us that we could not see ourselves. She knew we could provide a warm, inviting, and authentic place to host a fabulous party.
Well, we said yes despite our own skepticism. Bobby used his talents in the kitchen, his gift of creativity for group games, and I activated my love of presenting a beautiful table and interacting with friends. Because we invited our community group to our home to celebrate Christmas and our friendships, no one even cared about the carpet, the countertops, the cabinets. They just appreciated our willingness to open our home, the place where we live, the place where life happens.
Bobby and I had a blast at our own party! By not opening our home to others because of our doubts and insecurities, we were cutting ourselves off from the blessings God had for us in serving others in our home. What we needed was to stop thinking of what others would think about our house and begin inviting life into it. Through our friend Noel, God brought us into the light of hospitality. Since then, we have led and hosted community groups for five years now. We have since renovated our home for the purpose of hosting people and creating an environment for people to share their lives, needs, and faith within its walls.

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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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