Becoming a Person of Welcome

Spiritual Practices for Hospitality Rooted in Presence, Not Perfection

Reimagine Christian hospitality as a transformative spiritual practice that nurtures genuine connection wherever life takes you. In Becoming a Person of Welcome, Laura Baghdassarian Murray shares thought-provoking stories and insightful reflections that reach beyond outward gestures to inward transformation and a life shaped by God's welcome of us.

Going beyond opening your home or church building, hospitality is about cultivating a posture of welcome that reflects God's presence and generosity. You can discover the true essence of hospitality and create authentic belonging wherever you are.

What you'll find in Becoming a Person of Welcome:



- Eleven spiritual practices like listening, generosity, humility, discernment, and centering prayer to help guide you into this deeper vision of welcome.

- A strengthened understanding of God's inclusive welcome and how to reflect him by offering true connection and care to those around you.

- Practical ways to embody hospitality yourself or in community with the included questions for individual or group reflection.



This book is great for Christians who wants to better embody God's welcoming presence throughout their lives and small group or ministry leaders who want to make their church more welcoming. With wisdom drawn from Murray's Armenian heritage and seasoned church leadership, this book offers theological insights, practical steps, and thoughtful reflections to help you live out a life of connection rooted in God's example. Empower yourself and others to become bearers of welcome with Becoming a Person of Welcome .



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.







Tod Bolsinger is the founder and principal at AE Sloan Leadership Inc., the executive director of the DePree Center Church Leadership Institute, and associate professor of leadership formation at Fuller Seminary. He is the author of Canoeing the Mountains and Tempered Resilience. Tod and his wife, Beth, split their time between Pasadena, California, and Ketchum, Idaho.



Foreword by Tod Bolsinger



1. The Posture You Take



2. The Places You Are



3. The First Host



4. Counterfeit Hospitality



5. Healed Hearts Are Hospitable Hearts



6. The Exchange of Gifts



7. Preparing Yourself



8. Cultivating Vision



9. Necessary Boundaries



10. Spacious Guidance



11. Closings and Beginnings



Conclusion



Acknowledgments



Questions for Reflection and Discussion



Notes