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Equity-Based Hospitality Study

Study nine scriptural values related to equity-based hospitality

An 11-week course

This 11-week study series explores biblical hospitality from an equity lens, expanding on the values Rev. Liz Testa outlines in this article on equity-based hospitality. Lauralyn Vasquez developed the series, with input from the Reformed Church in America equity-based hospitality team.

Jump to sessions

“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”

Hebrews 13:1-3

Goals

  • Learn about equity-based hospitality and its nine key values. You’ll explore some common ways people approach the Scriptures as God’s great welcoming mat with doors wide open, reflect on where examples of equity-based hospitality reside in the Bible, and discover the nine key values that help everyone to live a life based on equity-based hospitality. 
  • Get equipped with tools to practice equity-based hospitality in your own context. This course will specifically speak to what hospitality can look like in the areas of disability, generational relationships and connecting with the next generation, race relations, and women’s leadership. 

Key points 

What is equity-based hospitality?

Equity-based hospitality is embracing the biblical practice of welcoming both friends and strangers in generous, kind, respectful, flexible, barrier-free ways. It takes people’s needs into account so that they can find space to truly belong, live into their God-given gifts and callings, and contribute to the body of Christ in unique, strengthening ways. This practice embraces the mutual hospitality of guest and host and can be readily adapted to different contexts. 

The nine values of equity-based hospitality

  • Sense of belonging and ability to contribute
  • Access for all
  • Intentional diversity
  • Authenticity, vulnerability, and humility
  • Trust
  • Care for content and context
  • Attention to power dynamics
  • Prioritizing the needs of others
  • Respecting participation levels

Sessions

Week 1

What Is Hospitality?

Examine hospitality in the Bible, find out the difference between equity and equality, and get ideas to start practicing biblical hospitality.

Week 2

Belonging and Ability to Contribute

Discover what sets apart environments where everyone belongs and has the ability to contribute. Get tools for assessing people’s gifts.

Week 3

Access for All

Learn how to identify barriers that stand in the way of people accessing God’s community and remove them. 

Week 4

Intentional Diversity

Examine what it means to be diverse. Explore ways to intentionally embrace diversity in race, gender, ability, age, vocation, and more. 

Week 5

Authenticity, Vulnerability, and Humility

Consider how you can model mutual respect and grace in your behavior, leadership, and overall presence.

Week 6

Trust

Reflect on what it means to be trustworthy and to extend trust. Evaluate your own willingness to trust God, yourself, and others.

Week 7

Care for Content and Context

Learn why it’s important to tailor both what you do and how you communicate it to your unique context (the space you’re in and the people you’re with).

Week 8

Power Dynamics

Examine how power dynamics can play a part in pushing people away and making them feel like they don’t belong.

Week 9

Prioritizing the Needs of Others

Reflect on what it means to align what you do and how you do it with what others need, not just what you prefer. 

Week 10

Respecting Participation Levels

Learn about allowing space for different people to participate in different ways and at different levels. 

Week 11

Conclusion

Reflect on what you’ve learned and discern what steps you can take to put equity-based hospitality into practice.