The First 30 Minutes: 3 Ways for FaithStay Hosts to Create a Warm Welcome

The FaithStay Team
Aug 8, 2017 · 3 min read
Photo: FaithStay hosts at Riverbend Retreat, North Carolina

Let’s paint a picture: It’s 8pm and you’ve just endured a 3-hour layover and a 4-hour flight. The man next to you on the plane smelled to high heaven, and your Uber driver mistakenly dropped you off a half mile from your accommodation. Now here you are finally, at the door of your FaithStay host’s home, tired, thirsty and a tad cranky. The woman who opens the door has a warm smile, and the couch in the distance looks oh-so inviting. “Welcome! Let me take your bags,” never sounded so kind-hearted in all your life, and suddenly you feel a sense of ok-ness that changes everything.

We all know that travel is stressful. As FaithStay hosts, it’s safe to assume our arriving guests may need a little TLC when they step through our door. With that, we have the power to touch someone’s heart with our actions, in ways ordinary life rarely presents. The first hour of a guest’s arrival can make a big difference in their travel experience, and may even have a bigger impact in the long term.

Though hospitality is simple, it may require some fresh insights. Bearing that in mind, we wanted to present you with a few simple ways to make guests feel warmly welcomed from the get-go.

1. “You’re Always On My Mind”

“Little things I should have said and done

I just never took the time

But you were always on my mind

You were always on my mind”

— Willie Nelson

Willie has a lot of songs about the open road and love and how the two can intermingle. As hosts, our ears and our hearts have to be open for our guests to know they are valued and always on our mind. It’s in the little things and the time it takes to be thoughtful that really let a person know you care. God has an interesting way of using small, seemingly meager things to do something incredible. Leaving a note, or a flower, or some water can feel insignificant, yet in those small thoughtful touches God may get His tremendous message across.

2. “How about a tour?”

For guests, arriving in a new place can be filled with curiosity and nervousness. A helpful suggestion is for hosts to graciously give a tour of their home, so guests can understand the lay of the land and get familiar with their new space. It’s important to be shown where to park, where to get water, where the clean towels are, what the WiFi code is, and to share who else may be in the house if it’s a shared living space. If your old washing machine requires two kicks to get started, unique things like that are helpful to know!

3. “Join Us”

Maybe you have an early evening porch time, or a morning coffee routine, or you might sit down for dinner and that night was the night the kids cooked. Each one of these daily occasions are wonderful opportunities to include your guest. The simple words, “Join us,” may lead to a new found friendship and meaningful conversation. As Christ finds ways to welcome us into meeting our needs and showing us love, so should we for our guests. It’s an incredible opportunity to demonstrate God’s love before we even speak about it.

The FaithStay Team

Written by

Rent lodging in safe and loving Christian homes. www.faithstay.com

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