5 Ways to Be Hospitable and a Good Listener in Your Neighborhood This Christmas

Here at The Church Cares, we aim to nurture the congregational care helpers. That’s why we’re proud to offer free high-quality support to those who want to pray, care, and engage more effectively with the hurting world around them.

By Dr. Jen Ripley, Ph.D, Co-director of The Church Cares, Psychologist and Professor. with Ezra, The Church Cares Guide

At Christmas, lights go up, music plays, and cookies are exchanged—but for many, beneath the surface is a longing to be seen, heard, and loved.

As a Church Cares Helper or simply a neighbor who follows Jesus, this season offers an incredible opportunity to show the heart of Christ through simple acts of hospitality and presence.

You don’t need a perfectly decorated home or a seminary degree. You just need to care well. Here are five ways to do that in your neighborhood this Christmas.

1. Be Available Before You Try to Be Amazing

Hospitality in the Bible is more about presence than presentation. It’s not about Pinterest-perfect parties. It’s about making space in your life for others.

In Luke 10, Jesus praises Mary not for cooking or cleaning, but for sitting at His feet and listening. That same posture—being fully present—is what people need most.

This Christmas, consider:

• Slowing down your pace so you can notice who’s hurting or lonely.

• Being interruptible—leaving margin in your week to linger in a conversation or drop off soup.

• Offering a quiet coffee, a backyard firepit, or a warm welcome to someone who feels left out of the season.

Start by being available, and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.

2. Practice the Ministry of Small Invitations

Big events are wonderful—but small invitations often go further. People may hesitate to attend a large church service, but they’ll say yes to cocoa on the porch or walking to see lights.

Hospitality can look like:

• Inviting a neighbor to help bake cookies for someone else.

• Offering a ride to a church Christmas service.

• Creating a “come-and-go” drop-in time for neighbors one evening.

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Small steps open big doors. The goal isn’t to impress—it’s to include. Hospitality isn’t about showing off your space. It’s about making space.

3. Listen to Understand, Not to Respond

The Church Cares training reminds us that listening is a ministry. And during the holidays, when emotions are heightened and conversations can be scattered, being heard becomes a rare and sacred gift.

When someone opens up—even a little—lean in with curiosity, not correction:

• Ask open-ended questions like, “What’s been on your heart this season?” or “What’s Christmas like for you this year?”

• Repeat back what you hear to help them feel understood: “That sounds really heavy” or “You’ve had a lot on your plate lately.”

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Avoid rushing to fix, preach, or one-up. Listening well shows people they’re not alone—and often, that’s all they need.

As James 1:19 reminds us: “Be quick to listen, slow to speak....”

4. Pay Attention to Pain Beneath the Surface

Not everyone is outwardly struggling. In fact, some of the most cheerful neighbors are carrying unseen burdens—grief, anxiety, fractured relationships, or deep fatigue.

As you offer hospitality, keep a gentle radar for unspoken pain. If you notice someone seems withdrawn, stressed, or quieter than usual, ask thoughtful, private questions like:

• “How are you holding up with everything?”

• “Is there anything I can be praying for?”

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Even if they don’t open up immediately, you’ve planted a seed. You’ve shown that someone sees them—and that matters more than you know.

5. Let Your Hospitality Point to Hope

You don’t have to give a gospel presentation every time you share a cup of tea. But Christmas gives us a unique opportunity to talk about Jesus—not just with our words, but with our way.

When you make room for others, listen well, and show up in love, you’re reflecting the One who came to dwell with us (John 1:14).

Don’t underestimate the power of a simple phrase like:

• “Jesus has been my peace this year. Can I pray for peace over you too?”

• “I’ve found that this season reminds me how much we all need hope.”

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Your hospitality and listening create windows into the gospel. You don’t have to force it. Just be faithful.

Final Thought: Start Where You Are

You don’t need to reach the whole neighborhood. Just start with one person. One conversation. One invitation.

In a season full of noise, your quiet presence may be the most Christlike thing your neighbor experiences.

This Christmas, let’s reflect the heart of Emmanuel—God with us—by showing up with humble presence, kind words, open doors, and ears that listen well.

You don’t have to fix every hurt.You just have to be there.

“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” —Romans 12:13

For more training and encouragement, visit TheChurchCares.com.

Let’s keep showing the world that care is not a program—it’s a people.