Holy Home Visits

Introduction

One of the most rewarding things that could ever happen to anyone who says “yes, I will go” is not the work they go to do, but rather the manner in which Jesus walks with them on this journey. Everyone has the same testimony: “I went to serve others, but looking back, I realise this was just a way in which Jesus drew me to Himself and showed me more of His Kingdom, to teach me more about His Father.” People often ask us, “How did you learn this?” when they see something in the work we do or in what we communicate. The answer is always the same: “We don’t know exactly where we learned it, but it was imparted to us.” This was definitely the case with Holy Home Visits.      

Visiting the sick in their homes was absolutely the backbone of the Masoyi model. Although we had no choice in this matter, we later discovered, when we developed a model for caring for orphans, that this was indeed a key success factor in care, regardless of the specific layer being cared for. On the surface, this critical intervention could easily be missed. Hundreds of children receive food, education, medical care, and ministry daily.

A Life Centre in the community provides them with a safe place and a platform for local engagementin the work. It looked good! But something was missing. The very thing we were taught in the early years, caring for people dying of AIDS and visiting them in their homes, was forgotten and left behind. It became clear we had to return to the roots of the calling, going to visit people in their homes.

Revelation 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

Isaiah 55:8–9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. ⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Home Visits, the missing link

Challenges in Home Visits

Home visits are not just tough but also expensive. They are time-consuming and slow work. Many children could be reached with care in the time it takes to visit one family. Homes are often far apart, and each way can easily take more than thirty minutes. Home visits are not programme-driven, which makes them very hard to evaluate or even to train for. It is more of “we are” than “we do”. When you visit someone in their home, there is also an expectation that you will bring something for the family. When a local volunteer from the community visits a family, this puts huge pressure on someone who is already trying to make ends meet.

These are just a few challenges, but perhaps there is one reason that supersedes all the others. When you conduct a home visit, you enter a sacred and private place of another human being. We see and hear things we would never see or hear outside the home. We are confronted with facts that place a firm responsibility on us to respond. And we don’t like that. As the culture of individualism developed, this became a very counter-cultural activity.

We prefer to meet people on neutral ground, where we can manage and guide the narrative. We can decide how much we want to know and how we want to respond. This is evident in our church strategies today. We invite people to church, where we minister to them in our space, where we are safe and in control. It keeps us from knowing too much in case it will cost us. But it also suits those visited. It allows them to pretend, to hide the parts of their lives they don’t want us to see. It is superficial and comfortable. 

No wonder, when we started focusing on home visits, we met strong resistance from many quarters, both within our own ranks and from the wider community we served. It became clear this might be a bridge too far, and as a last resort, I decided to dig deeper into God’s Word to understand what the Bible says about this topic. Twenty-two years later, I am still finding more and more reasons why home visits are the most fundamental activity for reaching people around you, and why a church that does not do home visits will never grow in strong relationships. I became so convinced that we have a biblical mandate to do this that I called it Holy Home Visits. It is indeed a holy activity.

When a child is invited to a feeding point, enrolled in a school, or taken to a clinic for medical attention, it does not help the child understand that he or she is loved and cared for. Firstly, these are basic human rights that they receive. Secondly, it is not focused on an individual; it is a group activity. This is in sharp contrast to when a child is visited in his or her house. There is a deep understanding that a Holy Home Visit focuses on the child; it’s all about him or her. I saw this firsthand during home visits, and many of these stories I wrote down in the book Fire Lilies (one classic story is in the chapter on Zimbabwe, visiting a boy called Shadrack on page 161). I also recall another specific story of a boy in South Africa, about ten years old, during a home visit. On the front door of his hut, a name was engraved, the name of the local Christian who visited him a few times a week at this home. I asked him about the name and why he did this. He told me he wanted everyone who walked past his hut to see that he had someone who was caring for him. He was known by someone, and he was known by name!                   

Theological Soundness of Holy Home Visits

It must be re-emphasised that the foundation of our faith is salvation by grace. Holy Home Visit is NOT an activity for receiving salvation. It is rather a response to having received salvation by grace. 

Ephesians 2:8–10 (ESV)

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We absolutely embrace the five solas from the Reformation:

• Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone): The Bible is the only infallible and ultimate authority for Christian faith and practice.

• Sola Fide (Faith alone): Justification (being made right with God) is received by faith in Jesus Christ alone, apart from any human works, merit, or penance.

• Sola Gratia (Grace alone): Salvation is entirely a free gift of God's unmerited favor.

• Solus Christus (Christ alone): Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and humanity.

• Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone): All glory, honor, and praise for salvation belong to God alone.

Jesus said, “As the Father sent me, I now send you.” (John 20:21)

It means your life and purpose are meant to mirror His—you are called to love, serve, and share the good news with the same authority, grace, and sacrificial love He received from God.

The picture of the God story

If one wants to distil the gospel message into phrases of only a few words, what would they be? What phrases would you use to describe the mystery, the beauty, and the “upside-downness” of the Jesus story? In other words, descriptive phrases that would draw ordinary people from society into awe of Jesus. Jesus was a master at using pictures to speak to people. Parables like the prodigal son, the Sower and the seeds, and the Pearl of great price, to mention a few, are loaded with rich meaning we often cannot even see today. A father running to his prodigal son, a son covered in pig manure, has deep meaning.

These parables have even us listening attentively from a very young age. I love Ephesians because this is exactly what Paul was so good at doing, even though he was certainly unfamiliar with the TikTok generation, and he had the freedom to use many words. But what was key about Paul’s letters was his ability to describe the gospel of Jesus to his generation graphically and vividly. He used words and phrases describing Olympic athletes or pointing to the “gods of the culture.” He also constantly quoted Scripture from the Old Testament to support his own words.    

I think we do a very poor job of conveying this amazing story in our generation. One only has to read the writings of the early church, or even the prayers of the saints, to appreciate this fact. Could this be because we have lost the depth and beauty of this story of redemption? If the best we have is a one-liner like “if you die today, where will you go?”, then it does no justice to our Lord and the sacrifice He made for all of us. To what depth do we understand what Jesus did, and, equally important, HOW He did it? If one wants to get to know someone better, one not only looks at what they did but also how they did it. Often, the latter will take one to a completely different level of understanding and will even protect one against false teachings.

But back to short phrases describing the redemption of Jesus to a broken world: “Loved and gave”; “lived among us”; “beautiful feet”; “forgiven and restored”; “rescued and adopted.” When we put these “simple phrases” in the context of the One we speak about and our own selfish and fallen nature, friend and foe alike grow quiet and marvel at such a story. The One who held the stars in His hand and told the sun, moon, and ocean where their boundaries lie is also humble and gentle, seeking time with you. If these few words don’t compel you to stop reading, close your eyes and marvel, then you are still blinded by arrogance, ignorance, and cultural stupidity.

Understanding the power of holy home visits, and why it is so hard to embrace them, requires understanding something about God, what He did, and how He did it. We know Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” The way Jesus lived among the people represented the Father and His character. This is confirmed in the story in which God was given a name for the first time (and, as far as I know, the only time) by a human. The story was about a slave girl named Hagar (Genesis 16) who fled into the desert after being ill-treated by Sarai, Abram’s wife. After God met with Hagar in the desert, where she was most vulnerable, she called Him El Roi, meaning “the God who sees”. This story is so rich in what it reveals about God, and you are invited to display this in your neighbourhood and to the uttermost parts of the world.    

This might be an appropriate time to look at another holy home visit Jesus made in John 4. It was His encounter with the Samaritan woman (take note, like Hagar, she was from outside Israel) at the well. The goal is not to discuss this passage in detail, but rather to ask a few questions of those who are eager to dig into this encounter. Why did Jesus HAVE to go (v4) through Samaria? This was a no-go zone for Jews and completely counter-cultural. Consider for a moment that this was the longest recorded conversation Jesus had in the Bible! Put it in context: who (social standing) did He speak to, and where (in cultural context)?

Do you go to places like this, or do you invite them to come out into your safe spaces? Will we spend that kind of energy and time to reach someone like an ill-reputed Samaritan woman? We read this passage as if this were totally acceptable and normal. How is the message of HOW He did it speaking to us? He (the One who held the stars) walked for hours in the sun to reach her personally. Jesus believed that reaching one person in the right way could lead many others to know and accept the truth. The HOW made the message irresistible. We see the most beautiful picture of how Jesus took this even further, and in v40, we read that He moved into the homes of the people in the village for two days. Consider how uncomfortable the disciples were when Jesus moved into a Samaritan village! Can we marvel at the scandal and the shame of this beautiful message from our Brother? This action was needed to include Gentiles like us.         

John 4:39–40 (CSB), Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of what the woman said when she testified, “He told me everything I ever did.” ⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.

Other holy home visits to consider:

1. Zacchaeus (Tax collector) Luke 19:2-8

2. Cornelius (a gentile and a Roman soldier) Act 10:1-11:18

3. When Peter heard about Dorcas’ sickness (Acts 9:36-41), he left everything to go and do a holy home visit, and her resurrection led to many people coming to faith.

4. Jesus stayed in Bethany and with Lazarus (John 11) the week before His death (Holy Week), roughly a week after Lazarus’ resurrection. In Aramaic, the name Bethany translates to "House of the Poor" or "House of Affliction". Jesus’s choosing to dwell among the marginalized, unclean (Lazarus was still unclean) and broken rather than in the palaces of Jerusalem demonstrated his mission to the afflicted.

It is believed that Philippians 2:1–11 was used as a hymn for the early church, singing about this amazing redemptive story and HOW it played out.

¹ If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, ² make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. ⁴ Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others. ⁵ Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. ⁷ Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, ⁸ he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross. ⁹ For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— ¹¹ and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

AI, in Logos Bible Software, used my books in my library to describe this beautiful song in these words:

Jesus demonstrated humility through a deliberate pattern of self-emptying that permeated his entire ministry. Though possessing divine nature, he refused to cling to equality with God, instead becoming a servant and ultimately submitting to death on a cross (Phil 2:5–8). This wasn’t merely passive acceptance but active choice—an act of humility in which the eternally divine Son fully assumed human nature.

His humility manifested in concrete, relational ways. Despite knowing all authority rested in his hands, Jesus removed his outer garments, wrapped a towel around himself, and washed his disciples’ feet (John 13:1–17). After performing this menial task typically reserved for servants, he reminded them that as their Lord and Teacher, he had set an example they should follow (John 13:1–17). Rather than demanding honor, he posed a rhetorical question about who is greater—the one seated or the one serving—before declaring himself positioned among them as a servant (Luke 22:27).

Jesus also embraced material deprivation and social vulnerability. He was born in a manger for lack of proper lodging (Luke 2:7), and later claimed to have nowhere to rest his head (Matt 8:20). Though rich, he became poor so that others might gain wealth through his poverty (2 Cor 8:9). He invited people to learn from him precisely because he was “gentle and humble in heart” (Matt 11:29).

His humility extended to his treatment of the marginalized. He ate with tax collectors and sinners, explaining that he came not for the righteous but for those who needed healing (Matt 9:10–13). When a sinful woman anointed his feet with tears and perfume, rather than rejecting her, he affirmed her love and forgiveness (Luke 7:36–50). Even facing death, he submitted to God’s will in prayer, surrendering his own desires (Matt 26:39).

Early church fathers identified Christ’s self-emptying with divine humility itself, understanding that God’s humility is revealed through the incarnation

The Condescending Love of God

The condescending love of God towards us humans is the reason for His incarnation (entering our “home”). The word condescending carries a negative connotation and is often used as a synonym for arrogance and scorn. The roots of the word are “con” (with/together) and “descend” (coming down).

To say that Jesus condescended means that he came down to earth to be with us.This is a key concept in understanding the biblical picture of Holy Home Visits.

Paul describes this in 2 Corinthians 8:9 (ESV): ^“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”

The Incarnation: The Ultimate Stooping Down

Leaving heaven to come to earth is a vivid image that captures the rich meaning of Holy Home Visits. It offers a whole new perspective on “downward mobility” instead of “upward mobility”.  

Philippians 2:6–7

"...who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."

Jesus laid aside His heavenly privileges to take on fragile human flesh.

John 1:14

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Jesus chose to enter into our dusty, broken world just to be close to us.

God Lowering Himself to Care for the Lowly

Lowering oneself is the disposition required for a Holy Home Visit.

1 Samuel 2:8

⁸ He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world.

Isaiah 57:15

"For thus says the One who is high and lifted up... 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit...'"

Hosea 11:3–4

"Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms... I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them."

Perhaps one of the most powerful Scriptures on this topic is found in Matthew 25. In these verses, Jesus made Holy Home Visits (among other services) very personal. He insists that when we did this, we did it to Him personally.  

Matthew 25:35–36, “³⁵ For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. ³⁶ I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.”

Early Church Fathers

Many church fathers wrote about the incarnation and stooping down of Jesus.

Origen of Alexandria (c. 184–253 AD)

Origen wrote about the emotional weight of God's condescension.

"The Savior descended to earth out of pity for the human race... He suffered our feelings before He suffered the cross; indeed, He even deigned to be born. What is this passion of love? It is the passion of a God who condescends to our needs."

His pity for us was so intense that it drew Him down into human flesh and human sorrow.

Praxis of Holy Home Visits

Praxis refers to the practical application and execution of a theory, concept, or skill. Originating from Ancient Greek, it is the bridge between thinking about something and actually doing it.

Characteristics of Holy Home Visits

Holy Home Visit is clearly an activity driven by a very specific worldview, which we derive from learning from Jesus, not just what He said, but how He lived and applied His words daily. It is the choice to go to someone, to serve someone, to bring “Someone” into the home, and to do so in a disposition of humility. The agenda is loose yet very focused. Here are a couple of phrases that attempt to describe the spirit of Holy Home Visit:

- “We do not leave the home until Jesus shows up.”

- “We are led by the Holy Spirit and rely on Him to guide our visit.”  

- “We are fine with long periods of silence.”

- “If we are patient and focused, we will hear when the child or adult is sharing what must be heard. This can take many Holy Home Visits to build this trust”

- “People want to be heard; they are not necessarily looking for answers or solutions. It starts with you seeing their pain.”

- “We know people by name.”

- “We sometimes show our scars (healed wounds of the past) to give us the platform to speak about their wounds.”

- “When we do a Holy Home Visit, we are completely present in the moment, and we will NEVER take phone calls or allow any other distraction to minimize our commitment to the people in the home.”

- “We prefer to walk to the home, if at all possible, instead of driving there. Walking through a community and entering one of the most vulnerable homes in that community is a HUGE statement to the rest of the community about the value of the people in that house.”

- “Holy Home Visits radically reduce the vulnerability of the people in the house, and predators seldom target children (or widows) who are connected with people.”

- “Serving people in their homes, including home repairs and chores like fetching water, is a very powerful picture to people in the community about disciples of Jesus. If done right, it would draw people into the Kingdom of God just by watching others doing Holy Home Visits.”

- “Holy Home Visits emphasize the importance of relationships, something that program-driven activities cannot do.”

- “Our activities in the Holy Home Visits, how we serve in that moment, are determined by what we see in front of us.”  

Conclusion

Holy Home Visits is a Christ-like activity that powerfully displays our Father’s character to the world and to those we serve. God is humble, and He came to visit us. But I would also argue that it is one of the best activities a disciple of Jesus could engage in regularly. 

The pressure from worldly culture and our flesh constantly pushes against Jesus-like activities, and Holy Home Visits can be likened to other Christian disciplines. Doing them regularly keeps one “sharp and steady” in practising the spiritual rhythms. Like giving, fasting, praying, and going, Holy Home Visits will never become a natural part of one’s life. But every time you do one of the above activities, you wonder why you don’t do it more and why it is so hard. Yet in doing these activities, we see fruit in other people and growth in our own lives. Amen.    

George Snyman