My family of four and I just celebrated the one-year anniversary of our move from rural Pennsylvania to suburban Texas, right outside of Houston. We moved here to plant a church, which means we are deliberately creating lots of opportunities to show hospitality to our new friends and neighbors. We counted it up and realized we’ve had people in our home for 49 of the last 52 weeks!
As I’m sure you can imagine, the seasons in Houston are very different from the seasons in Pennsylvania. Here, we mostly stay inside during the hot summer months. In the fall we enjoy being outside again—ready for weekend football games, afternoons at the park, and chatting with neighbors at the bus stop.
Fall is my favorite season for hospitality.
For those of us in the Deep South, it’s finally cool enough to be outside. For those in the North, it’s the perfect season to spend with friends before the snow keeps you inside.
Here are a few fall hospitality ideas to help you get to know your neighbors better and make new friends!
Football watching parties. Texas might reject my residency if I don’t start with this favorite! Whether it’s tailgating together at the high school game on Friday night, or hosting a watch party for your favorite college or NFL teams, football parties are a great way to get to know new people. One family in our church sets up a big screen in their garage with the game on and neighbors bring snacks to share while they watch the game together. (If football isn’t your family’s favorite pastime, you could set up a big screen with a kid-friendly movie playing and invite friends and neighbors over to watch together!)
Block parties. We recently borrowed a popcorn machine and a snow cone machine from a local church and set them up in the front yard with a sign that said, “Neighbors Welcome!” It didn’t take long to have enough kids for a basketball game in the driveway with a line of adults making sure the ball didn’t bounce into the street. People who had lived on the same street for years met for the first time. Our neighbors include first-generation families from Poland, South Korea, and the Philippines, so we all learned a lot from each other in that one evening of fun.
Pumpkin carving/painting parties. Last fall we picked out pumpkins of lots of sizes and invited our son’s special-needs class over to carve or paint pumpkins! The kids who had the motor skill development to carve their pumpkins did so outside on the picnic table. The younger kids and those with weaker motor skills had a blast painting their pumpkins. We even made dirt cake in small cups and let the kids put candy corn pumpkins on top to make their own delicious pumpkin patches!
Book club. Something about fall makes me want to cozy up with a good book, but it’s even more fun when I have friends to talk about it with! Plan a month in advance so everyone has time to buy and read the book before you meet to chat about it. This could even become a monthly tradition, with everyone taking turns hosting and picking the book.
I’m reminded of when Scripture says,
And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.” {Acts 17:26}
That means God put you in your neighborhood during this season!
He has a purpose for you being right where you are at this exact time, and part of that purpose is for you to show love to those around you.
I hope these fall hospitality ideas will inspire you to pick a date on the calendar and plan a way to welcome new people into your life and home.
What are your favorite fall entertaining events? Or your favorite fall food recipe to share?
Leave a Comment
Jaime says
Sandra, thank you for writing and sharing your heart for hospitality! We moved to a new state five years ago when my husband was elected as the lead pastor for a small but growing church. Getting to know our neighbors was so important! We’ve grown to love our neighbors in this new community!
My favorite fall recipe? Hmmm. Probably my pretzel bread, here: http://likeabubblingbrook.com/2016/07/pretzel-bread-recipe-easy-bread-machine-dough/
Happy fall to you! It’s nice to “meet” you!
Sandra says
Yum! Sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
Sandra,
Fall is my favorite season as well – especially here in the south when it’s been a long, hot summer. God put me in this neighborhood 20 years for a certain season – raising my kids. Now, 20 years later, I see that I have a new role….younger families are moving in and the neighborhood is turning over. I am now the sweet older lady who gives candy to the neighborhood children and puts stickers in their mailbox that I’ve found from going through all my old preschool teaching materials. I can envision a popcorn and sno-cone machine in my driveway….your post has given me food for thought (no pun intended). What is my role, in hospitality, in THIS season of my life?? Great thought provoking post 🙂
Blessings,
Bev
Sandra says
I’m so glad it sparked some ideas! I’m sure you are a blessing to those around you.
LaToya Brown says
Sandra, I too so love Fall! I live in western New York and I enjoy waking to foggy mornings, dew drops shimmering on grass blades, and that freshness of Autumn air. I’m a little shy, but I love to bake so that’s my way of worming myself into my neighbors lives. My husband isn’t shy, but can’t understand why I want to bake or cook meals then run up and down the street giving it all away…I love people and I love God. The other day a friend asked if I could bake some cookies for a nursing home she would visit. I intensely enjoyed the request and didn’t realize until hours later that I hadn’t had sat for my morning coffee! Blessings to all my sisters this morning.
Sandra says
I love how you’re blessing others with your gift of baking! I’m sure western NY is beautiful this time of year.
Michele Morin says
I’ve received huge encouragement from your words today — I’m in the midst of a season of roller coaster entertaining. All of it good and necessary, but my energy is flagging, so you’ve given me the boost that I needed!
Sandra says
As an introvert, I can relate to energy flagging! Praying for renewal and refreshment for you!
Lora Leftwich says
I love Fall! It’s the time of year we plan a trip to the mountains with grandparents to pick apples for making apple butter and when we invite the neighborhood kids over for football and persimmon picking (which I freeze for pudding- yum)! We set out new mums, pumpkins and scare-crows in preparation for the adorable little trick or treaters who will soon be ringing our doorbell. Then all of their older siblings come out dressed in their dreadful garb and guess what, we’ve saved some treats for them as well because truth be told, they are still kids too and a friendly gesture goes a long way throughout the rest of the year. Then it’s on to planning for Thanksgiving and that is when it really hits me; fall is the time of year I spend looking back, weighing the year that has passed and planning for the future. It’s the time of year when looking back allows me to see how God weaves our lives together, masterfully, in big and little ways.
Sandra says
Beautiful thoughts, Lora! Thanks for sharing!
Kathy Cheek says
I lived in Houston for 25 years and live in Dallas now. I hope you found Texas friendly and welcoming, it is a great place!
Blessings on your ministry and thank you for your ideas to help us with our hospitality opportunities.
Sandra says
Thank you, Kathy! The people are friendly and welcoming, even if the summers are not. 😉 We love it here!
Trish says
We just moved to a new neighborhood last week and was thinking I should bake some yummies and take to my new neighbors. Thanks for the encouragement!
Sandra says
Sounds like a great idea! Hope you make some new friends!
Maureen says
I have invented a fall holiday I hope will catch on, so here I am taking it to the national level!!!!! I call it Soup Day. We celebrate it on the day after Thanksgiving and, as you can imagine, the menu involves… soup! It is the perfect day to invite all the people who couldn’t get together on the big day. The ones who had to work or were obligated somewhere else. Loved ones in from out of town. Those who had to cook for a houseful. Invite the Black Friday weary, the football watchers and the football avoiders. Invite everyone!!!! Throw wide the doors and host an all out, all day, come as you are, warm soup and warm hospitality Soup Day! Our menu is soup, rolls and butter, and dessert (mostly pie and brownies). Make it yourself or hand out assignments as necessary. Have everyone bring their favorites or yours;) This should be FUN and simple. Line up the crockpots! Load up the stovetop! Light up the fireplace, the fire pit, the warmer thingy on the deck, and invite everyone… or just a handful of your best buds. But please, do enjoy Soup Day. And if at all possible, please hang a banner that says, “Happy Soup Day!” That’s how we do it!
Sandra says
I love the Soup Day idea! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Beth Williams says
Sandra,
Our small church makes welcome baskets for new families in the neighborhood. We put household goodies, mixes, etc. in there and top it off with a bulletin from our church. Someone from the church will take it and welcome them into the area. I found out a while back that one family joined our church simply because of the basket.
Fall is my favorite time of the year! Love the crisp cool air and the many changing colors that show God’s splendor. I share love with elderly at the assisted living. I give the residents hugs and let them know they are loved.
I really needed to hear this now: “He has a purpose for you being right where you are at this exact time, and part of that purpose is for you to show love to those around you.” Last June (2015) I quit my job. I thought I would be back to work shortly. Well my aging dad had many health issues. It helps to know that God has me right where He wants me at this time! I question whether the timing is right to go back to work.
Blessings 🙂
Sandra says
It is encouraging to know God has a plan for us in this season and exactly where we are! Love the welcome basket idea your church does. A little kindness goes a long way!
katie says
Welcome to Texas!! I love the idea of block parties. I visited a few National Night Out parties for my job this week and it was such a great experience. We’re often so busy we forget to connect with the people around us!
Sandra says
Thank you for the welcome! 🙂 We do forget to connect. National Night Out is a great opportunity to meet our neighbors!
Theresa says
A fall gathering we enjoy is a bon-fire party. People can bring their camp chairs and lounge around the fire and cook food and roast marshmallows. Conversation often flows around a crackling fire.
Sandra says
Sounds like so much fun!