Hospitality & Discipleship

I love having people in our home. As a leader, I have found my home to be one of the best places for me to connect with those I lead. One of the things Jesus demonstrated for us is that true leadership is based on genuine relationship, and this is where my home comes into play. More than any place in the world, I am more myself in my own home than anywhere else. If I want people to sincerely connect with my wife and me, bringing them into our home is the best place for this to take place.

Our home is a window

Not too long after entering our home people begin to see who my wife Gayle, and I really are. As they gaze at the pictures on the buffet they will see the significance family plays in our lives. As they see the numerous pictures of our grandkids, they will recognize the joy we have in being Grandparents at this particular stage of life. If they step into my office, they’ll quickly discover that I am a fan of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Because our home has an identity that says, “This is who Rick and Gayle are” people will learn more about us in a few hours in our home then they would in a year of casual Sunday morning conversations. It’s important that those I lead and work with know me, and that I know them.

Inviting people in

When we first launched Jubilee’s St Charles Location, we purposely used our home as a means of introducing our Sunday morning guests to Jubilee. I was amazed to discover that for many of these people this was the first time they had ever been invited into a pastor’s home. Our simple invitation went a long way in helping to break down wrong thinking about leadership and to help foster a healthy understanding of biblical community.

When others sense you’re at ease in your surroundings, they tend to follow suit and become more relaxed themselves. It is this kind of atmosphere that provides the context for healthy relationships, which are key in leadership and team development.