Becoming a Person of Welcome

Christian hospitality is about people and relationships, not just spaces. It goes beyond opening our homes or extending invitations—it's about cultivating a posture of welcome that reflects God's presence and generosity wherever we go. Becoming a Person of Welcome provides an expanded vision of hospitality as a spiritual practice, offering practical steps and thoughtful reflections for those eager to embody God's heart for welcome in their communities and lead others to do the same.

Laura Baghdassarian Murray challenges common assumptions about hospitality and invites readers to reframe their understanding, shifting from outward performance to inward transformation. Through heartfelt stories from her Armenian heritage, contemporary community life, and years in church leadership, Murray offers a new vision of hospitality—one that moves beyond performance and privilege to a life shaped by God's welcome of us.

This book will help you:



- Develop a posture of hospitality: Move beyond traditional ideas of hospitality and create authentic belonging wherever you are.

- Imitate God's welcome: Reflect God's act of offering himself to us by offering true connection and care to those around you.

- Lead others to embody hospitality: While you expand your own view of hospitality, you'll also be equipped with theological and practical tools to help those you influence become people of welcome too.Are you ready to become a person of welcome? This book offers the tools, inspiration, and guidance to help you live out a life of connection rooted in God's example. Don't wait to start this life-changing journey—purchase your copy today and take the next step toward embodying hospitality in every part of your life.



Laura Baghdassarian Murray (DMin, Fuller Seminary) is the director of spiritual engagement and innovation at Fuller Seminary's Center for Spiritual Formation. She is the author of Pray as You Are, serves on the Ministry Collaborative Advisory Board, and previously served at Highland Park Presbyterian Church as the pastor of spiritual formation. Laura is also the founder of the Digital Silent Retreat Ministry, which is rooted in the practice of hospitality to provide brave and courageous spaces for people to connect with God and others (www.digitalsilentretreats.com). She lives in the Dallas area with her husband and two children.

Foreword


1. The Posture You Take


2. The Places You Are


3. The First Host


4. Counterfeit Hospitality


5. Healed Hearts See Hurting Hearts


6. The Exchange of Gifts


7. Preparing Yourself


8. Cultivating Vision


9. Necessary Boundaries


10. Spacious Guidance


11. Closings and Beginnings


Conclusion


Acknowledgements


Group Discussion Guide


Bibliography