Mission as Hospitality

“If hospitable mission is less about inviting others into our space where we are in charge and more about being vulnerable in the presence of others in their home venues, then Edward Smither calls followers of Jesus to the uncomfortable place of being guests in an unpredictable pluralistic commons. As God who so loved the world gave . . . so also does Mission as Hospitality invite our openhandedness and open-heartedness in embodying the redemptive love and justice of Jesus for others.”


—Amos Yong, Professor of Theology and Mission, Fuller Theological Seminary





“We are living in the midst of one of the greatest missionary moments in the history of the church, but is the church prepared for it? God is a missionary God, whose mission can be seen throughout the pages of the Bible and history. In Mission as Hospitality, Ed Smither reminds us that God’s mission is hospitable. In doing so, he offers the church a timeless approach to faithfully join in God’s mission today through hospitality that welcomes the stranger and makes room for others. Read it, digest it, use it!”


—Winfield Bevins, Director of Church Planting, Asbury Seminary, and author of Ever Ancient Ever New





“Far more than a strategy for mission, hospitality is a way of life that shapes Christian practices and embodies the welcome of God. Combining ancient insights with current examples, Smither invites readers to grasp the power, grace, and transformation that come as we understand and embrace mission as hospitality.”


—Christine D. Pohl, Professor Emerita, Asbury Theological Seminary, and author of Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition