Creative Ways to Gather with Friends and Family

When Life Feels Full and Time Feels Short

If you read my last post about gathering trends for 2025, you might remember I promised to share a few simple ways to bring those ideas to life. The truth is, as I sit here typing this — kids home from school, summer in full swing, a to-do list staring back at me — my creative energy is running on fumes. Maybe you’ve felt that too?

The funny thing is, writing about gathering is my way of reminding myself that it can be simple. These posts aren’t coming from someone who hosts flawlessly curated dinner parties every weekend. I share them because, honestly, I need the nudge too.

It’s not always easy, is it? I don’t want to pretend otherwise. Sometimes you put out an invitation once or twice and get no’s or maybe’s that never turn into yeses. Or you have people over but never get an invite back. It’s discouraging — you wonder if your efforts matter. We get caught up in work, shuttling the kids to activities, then we leave the weekend for catching up on chores, forgetting what true Sabbath rest can look like — time to worship, rest, and share life together.

Romans 12:13 reminds us to “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” I come back to that verse often because it doesn’t say “practice perfect hospitality” — it says to practice. To try again. To open the door one more time.

So I guess this post is as much an encouragement for me as it is for you. I want to dream and yearn for more moments that feel genuine — not just check-the-box gatherings but the kind that build deeper roots of friendship, faith, and rest.

And yet, even in the middle of our busy lives, those moments do happen. Just recently a dear friend stopped in last minute and we sat on the dock with a drink, some hummus, carrots, and pita chips. No fancy spread, no plan — but it filled me up in a way that a big, perfectly planned dinner sometimes doesn’t.

So if you’re longing for that too, here are a few imperfect, real ways we can gather — ways that remind us it’s not about the “Pinterest moment” but about practicing hospitality, creating Sabbath moments of true connection, and building friendships that reflect God’s love.

1. Bring-What-You-Have Picnic

Text a few friends, find a shady spot, and have everyone bring whatever is in the fridge. Sandwiches, berries, store-bought cookies — done. Kids run free, grown-ups can breathe.

 2. Coffee/Tea on the Porch  

My favorite low-effort invite: “Want to swing by for some tea or coffee?” No meal to prep, no big cleanup. Just an hour together, cups in hand. Sometimes those porch conversations are the sweetest way to pause from the week.

3. Try Something New Together 

Invite a friend or two to bake bread, arrange flowers, or try a new recipe with you. It’s not about getting it right — it’s about the joy of doing life side by side.

4. Board Games or Puzzle Night

No dinner plans needed. Pull out a puzzle or a game, make a pot of tea, snack on popcorn, and just be together.

5. Once-a-Month Soup Supper

Pick one day each month to make a big pot of soup or stew. Let people come as they are — mismatched bowls, bread from the bakery, kids in pajamas. That’s real life hospitality.

6. Celebrate the Ordinary

You don’t need a milestone. Celebrate that it’s finally Friday or that the garden bloomed. “Come for ice cream on the porch” is reason enough.

Can I Ask You Something?

I’d love to hear how you’re making gathering work in this busy season. How do you practice real hospitality — the kind that invites people in when life is messy? How do you protect time for Sabbath rest and connection when weekends fill up so quickly?

Leave a comment or reply — your stories remind me that even small, imperfect invitations matter. Maybe we can encourage each other to keep trying, even when it feels easier to close the door and stay tired.

And if you’re not on my email list yet, I’d love to keep this conversation going. Sign up at the bottom of the page so we can share more ways to make life feel a little more intentional — and a lot more gathered.

Here’s to the imperfect moments that fill us up more than we expect. And to practicing hospitality, one simple gathering at a time.