TheCHN.org
About
Christian Hospitality Network
About
Christian Hospitality Network
Christian Hospitality Network (CHN) was founded in 1997 with a simple belief: Christian hospitality has the power to refresh, encourage, and strengthen those serving the Kingdom. What began as a humble bed and breakfast soon grew into a network of Christian-owned inns, bed and breakfasts, cabins, lodges, and host homes that welcomed ministry workers with generosity and grace.
As the ministry grew, so did a question that would shape our future: What if we could bring this same experience of rest and renewal directly to missionaries on the mission field? That vision gave birth to the CHN GetAway retreats.
Listen to Paul Cowell talk about why we started the Christian Hospitality Network
Today, the original hospitality network continues through our partner organization, ServantCARE, while Christian Hospitality Network focuses on creating life-giving GetAway retreats for missionaries and Christian workers around the world. These retreats provide a place to rest, reconnect, and be renewed through exceptional hospitality and the care of volunteers—including medical professionals, counselors, hair stylists, massage therapists, and many others—who freely use their gifts to serve those who serve.
At its heart, CHN is still about the same mission it began with nearly three decades ago: demonstrating the love of Christ through hospitality. Whether through a welcoming place to stay or a restorative retreat, our desire is to strengthen those who have dedicated their lives to advancing the Gospel.
Why we are here
The Need
Missionary life is filled with incredible purpose—but it is also filled with sacrifice. Many missionaries serve for years in challenging environments, carrying the emotional, physical, and spiritual weight of ministry while often living far from family, support systems, and opportunities for genuine rest.
The demands of ministry can lead to exhaustion, isolation, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Without intentional seasons of renewal, even the most faithful servants can find themselves running on empty. Yet many missionaries have few opportunities to step away, reconnect with their families, receive practical care, and simply be ministered to instead of always being the ones ministering to others.
At Christian Hospitality Network, we believe that caring for those who serve the Gospel is an essential part of advancing the Gospel. Through our GetAway retreats, we provide missionaries and Christian workers with a place to rest, be encouraged, and experience the love of Christ through genuine hospitality. Every retreat is intentionally designed to strengthen the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—so our guests can return to the mission field refreshed and ready to continue the work God has called them to do.
Because sometimes the greatest gift we can give those who spend their lives serving others is the opportunity to be cared for themselves.
History
Since 1997
The Whitestone Country Inn was opened by Paul and Jean Cowell in 1997 with the simple mission of providing rest and renewal for pastors and missionaries. After witnessing the transformative impact that genuine Christian hospitality had on those serving in ministry, they began asking, “What if we could bring this same experience of rest and encouragement directly to missionaries around the world?”
That vision led to the creation CHN GETAWAY retreats that bring rest, renewal, and encouragement to missionaries and Christian workers serving around the globe.
Our mission has always been about more than providing a time of rest. We seek to honor missionaries as heroes of the Christian faith, encouraging and strengthening them so they can continue the work God has called them to do.
We don’t just provide a time of rest but esteem them as heroes of the Christian faith and provide them much needed encouragement for the journey.