KIM BARNES | CONTRIBUTOR

There was a long season in our lives when our home was a gathering place. We regularly hosted large groups of people for food and fellowship, endeavoring to heed the call of 1 Peter 4:9 to “show hospitality to one another without grumbling” by making our home a welcoming place.

Now we’re in a different season—one where it’s challenging to host people in our home. Yet I know the call to be hospitable remains. So how can I welcome others in this new season of life?

Hospitality Beyond the Dinner Table

Romans 12:10–13 reminds us:

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

The word translated “hospitality” here (and throughout the New Testament) comes from a Greek word meaning “love of strangers.” True hospitality goes beyond setting a table or serving a meal. At its heart, it’s about making space for others—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s about seeing people as image-bearers rather than inconveniences or interruptions and welcoming them.

And one of the simplest, yet most profound, ways to welcome someone—to practice hospitality—is to learn their name.

In the past six years, we’ve made a couple of moves and stepped into leadership roles in new churches. Each move meant meeting many new people. Over and over, I’ve heard, “You’re so good at remembering names!”

The truth is, while I may have some natural ability, I also work hard at it. And here’s the good news: even if you don’t think you’re good with names, you can get better. But the deeper question is: why make the effort?

Names Matter to God

In the Bible, names are important. From the moment God calls the light “day” and the darkness “night” in Genesis, we see that naming is an act of divine authority and creative power. When Adam names the animals, he participates in the sacred work of bringing order and meaning to creation. The patriarchs receive new names that reflect their transformed destinies—Abram becomes Abraham, “father of many nations,” and Jacob becomes Israel after wrestling with God. Prophetic names like Immanuel, “God with us,” and Jesus, “he saves,” reveal God’s intentions and promises. Even when names reflect struggle or sorrow—like Rachel naming her son Ben-oni, “son of my trouble,” before Jacob renames him Benjamin—they capture profound truths about the human condition and God’s redemptive work within it. To receive a name in Scripture is to be known, called forth, and given purpose in God’s redemptive story

God himself reveals His character through names: I AM WHO I AM. Jehovah-Jireh. El Shaddai. When we pray, “hallowed be your name,” we’re acknowledging that God’s name is holy and precious.

So, when I learn your name, I’m doing more than being polite. I’m recognizing the image of God in you. I’m saying you are not just another face: you are a person who is fearfully and wonderfully made.

The Hospitality of Remembering Names

As you read this, maybe you’re remembering the surprise and delight you felt when you went back to a new church for a 2^nd or 3^rd time and the greeter called you by name. Or maybe you’re recalling the feeling of discouragement when you approach someone you’ve met and talked to a few times, but they don’t remember your name. Let those feelings motivate you.

Learning and using someone’s name are the most basic, yet powerful, ways to practice hospitality. When we make the effort to remember, we communicate: You matter. You belong. You are worth remembering.

You’ve probably heard some “tricks” for remembering names. Here are a few that I find helpful:

• Repeat the name: Repeat the name right after you learn it, and once or twice more during conversation. You can also repeat it slowly and ask the person to correct you if it’s hard to pronounce.
• Ask about spelling. I find visualizing the spelling helpful, especially with homophonic names. “Geoffrey” or “Jeffrey”? “Stephen” or “Steven”? “Cathi” or “Kathy”? This question also shows you care enough to get it right.
• Write it down. When I get home from church or Bible study where I’ve met new people, I try to jot down names and what I learned about them. I also jot down their children’s names because knowing the names of their children speaks volumes. It says, “I heard you” and “Your family matters.” Sometimes I bring their names before the Lord in prayer. I don’t always do this—but I’m always glad when I do.
• Ask again if needed. If you forget, admit it: “I’m sorry—we met last week, but I can’t recall your name.” Usually they’re relieved, because they forgot yours too.

A New Season of Hospitality

I miss the days when our home was full of people—when hospitality meant a full crockpot and a crowded table. But the Lord has reminded me that hospitality is bigger than a house or a meal.

When we commit to learning and remembering names, we’re practicing the kind of hospitality that says: You matter. You are seen. You are known.

In a world that often treats people as faceless crowds, this simple act becomes a living testimony to the God who calls each of us by name.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash