'Hospitality tends to be given a low priority as it's not seen as being of any great importance or effectiveness in the kingdom of God. But I believe it is vital for the healthy life of a local fellowship. We live in a society that increasingly tends towards being individualistic and fragmented. Think about individuals, perhaps those who live alone, or who are on the fringe of church life. Many of these have no meaningful contact wth other Christians apart from church services or meetings. So what do we do? Perhaps we try and include some "fellowship events" in our church timetable. We may term these "fellowship" meetings or events but often they're little more than polite and pleasant chit-chat. Often they don't acheive the aim of getting to know one another and engaging at a deeper level. The early Christians met together daily and so could share as each had need. Often we don't really know one another well enough to be aware when there is a need, be it practical, emotional or spiritual.'
Julia Jones, A Cup of Cold Water, p.7.
