How we got into Hospitality

How we got into Hospitality

Back in the 1980s in Slough, Roy and some local ministers would get
together to pray, and organise regular meetings across the
denominations in Slough. Through contact with the local churches,
we had the idea of running “Weekends for the Churches” when we
invited local Christians to stay with us. We’d give them a weekend of
teaching, worship, ministry and good food. In those days, though,
we didn’t have guest rooms, so community members would spring
clean their bedrooms, give them up, and find a corner elsewhere to
sleep in! The dream of having special guest accommodation and
running some kind of retreat centre was born in those days.

It was a dream come true when God moved us to Childswickham
House. It was tailor-made to what we needed. Wonderfully enough,
the previous owners had spent the same eleven years doing up our
new home that we had spent working on the old HOD house!

None of us were trained in hotel and catering management or as
chefs (and still aren’t though we’ve all done Health and Safety
training!). Despite this, the word spread quickly about our place, and
after two or three years we were fairly well-established, with a
reputation for good food, comfortable accommodation and peaceful
atmosphere. Judging from our guests’ comments, this is much the
same today.

These days we probably average about 2600 guests a year, and that
fulfils a prophecy we were given in the early eighties that there would
be thousands passing through our home, not hundreds or millions, but
thousands. At the time we couldn’t see how that could be, but all is
revealed in time! We keep our rates as low as possible so that people
won’t be put off coming because they can’t afford it. And the great
advantage of being able to earn at least part of our income in this way
is that we are able to be more flexible for outreach work and ministries.

When we moved to Childswickham we knew that God was giving us this
beautiful home not only for us to enjoy. He meant it as a blessing to
those who don’t have the privilege of living in the midst of green trees
and open fields; to help those who need a bit of inner quiet find it in
peaceful surroundings; to give God’s people space and time to be with
Him.

Reading thank you notes from people, it’s so obvious that God takes
our puny natural efforts and adds something supernatural to bless our
guests. For this, and for everything He does: “Give thanks to the Lord
for He is good; for His love endures forever!”