Hospitality Highlight: Sam & Erika Haney

Let Love Be Sincere

If you want to see what it looks like to serve with your whole heart (see Romans 12:9), look no further than Sam and Erika Haney. Always willing to step in and help others, they make serving look effortless and fun.

Erika grew up at Faith, while Sam joined the church in 2022 and now works there part-time as the facilities assistant. Married at the church this past November, the Haneys now serve as sixth-grade leaders in Youth Ministry. Inspired by the fellowship among believers described in Acts 2, they are intentional about using their home, resources, and time to care for the body of Christ.

Together, they are learning how God uses both their strengths and weaknesses to challenge and sharpen one another—especially in the area of hospitality. Sam credits Erika with keeping him humble, encouraging him to serve others in a way that magnifies the Lord, not himself. Erika, in turn, has been encouraged by Sam’s generosity and his example of holding nothing back in loving others.

Their approach to hospitality is about sincerity. Whether hosting friends or mentoring students, they strive to make others feel genuinely seen and cared for. Extroverted and eager to connect, the Haneys are also learning to embrace healthy limits and to serve without grumbling, even when life gets full.

When it comes to food, these two know how to make something simple taste extraordinary. Their much-loved recipe, appropriately named “The Cookie,” produces large, bakery-style cookies. They’re rich with butter, enhanced by extra egg yolks, and loaded with both chocolate chips and chopped chocolate, creating that perfect gooey-meets-crispy texture. Whether hosting someone in your home or treating your Growth Group with dessert, these cookies are perfect for your next hospitality pursuit.

"The Cookie"

From the kitchen of Sam and Erika Haney*
Yield: 10 large cookies

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups (230g) cake flour
• 2 cups (275g) all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons (5g) kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons (8g) cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon (6g) baking soda
• 1 ¼ cups (280g) unsalted butter
• 1 ¼ cups (285g) brown sugar
• ½ cup (115g) white granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 cups (165g) roughly chopped walnuts
• 1 pound (450g) roughly chopped dark chocolate (or half chocolate chips and half chopped chocolate)

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and set aside to cool.
2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together cake flour, all-purpose flour, salt, cornstarch, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk together on medium speed, then slowly pour in the melted butter. Add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the egg yolks, until mixture is smooth.
4. Switch to the paddle attachment and mix in the flour mixture until smooth.
5. Add in walnuts and chocolate. Mix until combined.
6. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 45 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Weigh dough balls out to 6 ounces each and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet with a few inches of space between balls. There should be about 10.
8. Bake for 10-13 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool before serving.

Jennifer Brandt

Jennifer is the Hospitality Highlight editor for Living Faith magazine. She and her husband Cory have been married since 2018 and serve together in Youth Ministry.

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