Hospitality and Administration

Hospitality

Description

Those with this gift have the ability to make visitors, guests and strangers feel at ease. They often use their home to entertain guests. Persons with this gift integrate new members into the body.

1 Peter 4:9 CSB

Be hospitable to one another without complaining.

Definition

philoxenia - The generous and gracious treatment of guests/strangers.

Scripture

A greeting with a bow or a kiss

Genesis 18:2 CSB

He looked up, and he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, bowed to the ground,

Genesis 19:1 CSB

The two angels entered Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in Sodom’s gateway. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them. He bowed with his face to the ground

welcome for a guest to come in

Genesis 24:31 CSB

Laban said, “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord. Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

Invitation to rest

Genesis 18:4 CSB

Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree.

Genesis 19:2 CSB

and said, “My lords, turn aside to your servant’s house, wash your feet, and spend the night. Then you can get up early and go on your way.” “No,” they said. “We would rather spend the night in the square.”

Genesis 24:32 CSB

So the man came to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and feed were given to the camels, and water was brought to wash his feet and the feet of the men with him.

Provision for food and drink

Judges 4:19 CSB

He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink for I am thirsty.” She opened a container of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him again.

New Testament

Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25–37 CSB

Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?” He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.” “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus took up the question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’ “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”

Midnight visitor

Luke 11:5–8 CSB

He also said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don’t have anything to offer him.’ Then he will answer from inside and say, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he won’t get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend’s shameless boldness, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

What about showing hospitality to unrepentant believers, false teachers, or intentional decievers?

1 Corinthians 5:11 CSB

But actually, I wrote you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person.

2 Timothy 3:5 CSB

holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people.

Titus 3:10–11 CSB

Reject a divisive person after a first and second warning. For you know that such a person has gone astray and is sinning; he is self-condemned.

2 John 7–11 CSB

Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves so that you don’t lose what we have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who does not remain in Christ’s teaching but goes beyond it does not have God. The one who remains in that teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home, and do not greet him; for the one who greets him shares in his evil works.

Administration

Description

Persons with the gift of administration lead the body by steering others to remain on task. Administration enables the body to organize according to God-given purposes and long-term goals.

1 Corinthians 12:28 CSB

And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, leading, various kinds of tongues.

Romans 12:8 CSB

if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.

Definition

a method of tending to or managing the affairs of some group of people

Application

Administrators are leaders. When volunteers are needed to organize an event, administrators are often at the head of the line. A church leadership team needs at least one person with the gift of administration to organize people and programs. Without that leadership, great ideas can dissolve into chaos. Often, pastoral teams consist of one administrator and others with the gifts of mercy and shepherding. If those leaders are wise, they respect the way the others are gifted and allow the Lord to balance those gifts for optimal service. A wonderful, merciful pastor may be very disorganized in his own life and needs someone with the gift of administration to handle the business affairs of the church while he tends to the emotional and spiritual needs of his flock.

Administrators are also excellent delegators. They seem to sense who would handle a project well and don’t mind calling people and recruiting volunteers for projects they believe in. Depending on their personalities or leadership styles, administrators tend to gravitate toward either people or programs. Extroverted administrators thrive when working with people. They appoint leadership teams, organize volunteers, and recruit those who need a little nudge to get involved. Introverted administrators may feel more comfortable behind the scenes, planning events and organizing calendars that benefit the whole church. They are more project-oriented while extroverted administrators are more relational.

Many pastors of megachurches have the gift of administration. Their ability to lead and inspire others to lead is one reason their churches grew so large. However, a danger for pastors with this gift is that it is easy for them to slip into a competitive mindset when they see exploding church numbers. Those with the gift of administration must never forget that the church is not a for-profit business. It is a ministry that must operate through the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish what God wants. Administrators may be prone to adopting business strategies that they see working in other arenas. They may appear successful while actually operating in the flesh (Romans 8:8).