If you are a church leader like me, serving in church circles where we are feeling the weight of a burgeoning population combined with the innumerable closing of struggling churches, you’ve heard a lot about church planting in the last 10 years. We know that North America, as a whole, needs more churches and especially more healthy churches. There is often a barrier that stands in our way that is a difficult one to navigate. Church planting in the traditional sense is VERY expensive. Often, there is some type of real estate involved with either the purchase of a building or at least a lease. There are salaries to be raised, equipment to be purchased, publications to develop, and promotional strategies to be thought out, all while trying to gain the attention of a distracted world. It can feel daunting. Often, we also have one method of accomplishing the mission when the subject of church planting comes to mind: plant the same kind of church that we’ve been planting. A place where people gather in rows to sing together and hear a message about the Bible. This has left many denominations and networks in a quagmire of finding the right people, the right places, and securing the funding needed to accomplish this huge mission of sharing Jesus with every community under our care. The Mission Is Unchanged. What About the Method? What if there was another way forward? What if church planting could become something more of the churches in your network could participate in? What if a small congregation could look at a neighborhood where people are disconnected from church and say, “We could do something here”? Dinner Church offers one possible way forward. The concept is remarkably simple: cook a meal, set the table, gather people together, and share the story of Jesus in the context of relationship and community. Instead of waiting for people to walk through the doors of a traditional church, Dinner Church creates an opportunity to bring the church into the communities where people already live. That simplicity makes Dinner Church an accessible and affordable approach to church planting. Many churches under your care, even if they are small, can determine to cook a meal and set a table in their neighborhood. But accessible does not mean untrained. If we want these new expressions of church to become healthy, sustainable, and reproducible, we need leaders who understand not only how to set a table, but how to lead the mission that happens around it. Leaders need a biblical and theological foundation for Dinner Church, practical tools for building teams and engaging their communities, and the ability to help what begins around one table grow and multiply. That is why the Dinner Church School of Leadership matters. The School of Leadership goes beyond introducing leaders to the idea of Dinner Church. It equips leaders to understand the theology and practice behind the table while developing the practical, reproducible tools needed to establish and multiply Dinner Churches in their own contexts. Listen to what Tom Rees, Church Planting Director from the PennDel Network of the Assemblies of God, has to say about Dinner Church planting and leadership development in their network: “Dinner Church has become one of the most effective tools we've found for planting the Gospel in communities where the people may never walk through the doors of a traditional church. It strips away unnecessary barriers and creates a place where real conversations happen over a shared meal. Just as important, the Dinner Church School of Leadership has equipped our key Dinner Church Quarterbacks, giving them the practical, reproducible tools to help launch new Dinner Churches. In a region like ours, where ministry requires creativity, perseverance, and a little grit, Dinner Church is helping us start new ministry expressions, develop new leaders, and reach people who have been overlooked for far too long. Dinner Church is helping us extend the gospel reach, one table at a time.” Equipping Leaders to Set the Table Many networks and denominations are beginning to embrace this effective, affordable approach to church planting. But imagine what could happen if we did more than simply encourage churches to try Dinner Church. What if we intentionally equipped leaders who could carry this vision into communities across an entire region or network? What energy and vision could be built if church planting became something that every church believed it could participate in? What if a small church didn’t have to become a large church before it could plant something new? What if leaders who may never have imagined themselves as church planters discovered that God had already given them what they needed to gather people around a table? Imagine the impact. Here’s my challenge to you: would you consider identifying a few key leaders who are ready to embrace church planting in a whole new way and investing in them through the Dinner Church School of Leadership? Perhaps Jesus is preparing you and those you lead to embrace the neighborhood again. Perhaps there are communities waiting for followers of Jesus who are brave enough to set the table again. Perhaps there are leaders already within your churches who simply need someone to recognize their potential and equip them for what God might do next. Perhaps gaining traction in an increasingly secular landscape can begin with something as simple—and as deep—as bringing back the power of the Jesus table in your community. Ready to equip leaders for the table? Learn more about the Dinner Church School of Leadership . Looking for a different next step? Explore Dinner Church Encounter, Launch, and Lead trainings to find the right starting point for you or your team.
At New Carlisle United Methodist Church, sewing has become more than a hobby—it has become a way to build community, serve neighbors, and share God’s love. Through Tangled Threads, people of different ages and backgrounds gather around a shared love of creating, discovering connection and purpose one stitch at a time. Here’s a quick look at what it is, how it works, and why it matters. What It Is Tangled Threads is a sewing-centered Fresh Expression that grew out of New Carlisle United Methodist Church. The idea actually began on the ride home from a Fresh Expressions and Messy Church training, when a few laypeople in the backseat started imagining what they could do with something they already loved. The result was a new community built around sewing, serving others, and growing in faith together. How It Works On the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, around ten people gather from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to sew and create items for people in need. Their projects have included wheelchair bags for a nearby retirement community, soap bags for the food pantry, baby layette kits, and other donated items. At noon, the sewing pauses for devotions and a time of sharing, making spiritual conversation a natural part of the community’s rhythm. Participants include people from both inside and outside the congregation—and range from an 86-year-old woman who learned to tie quilts to a 14-year-old who came wanting to learn to crochet. Why It Matters Tangled Threads shows that a Fresh Expression doesn’t have to begin with a complicated program or a large team. Sometimes it begins by noticing what people already love to do—and asking how that passion might become a place for relationship, purpose, service, and faith. More than 180 handmade items had already been donated when the story was published, but perhaps the more important impact is happening around the sewing tables themselves: generations learning from one another, people finding purpose, relationships forming, and faith being woven naturally into life together. This snapshot was developed through thoughtful research using publicly available sources, including websites, news articles, community updates and a brief conversation with the pioneer.
When I was right out of college, I packed three suitcases and moved from Texas to Washington, D.C. My parents were understandably concerned. They worried that I would be alone and have trouble finding my own way. I had made a few connections, and within a couple of weeks of arriving I was invited to rent a room in the home of a family. There's a particular transience to the D.C. area. Nearly everyone is from somewhere else, and this family was no exception. They remembered what it was like to be new, and they were particularly good at helping outsiders become insiders. When I moved in, I was given a chore. My simple task was unloading the dishwasher. It may seem odd, but it made me feel like part of the family. Before too long, their friends became my friends, and my friends became their friends. Our life together painted a different picture than the one we so often see in the midst of American suburban life. Like most families, they were busy people. Their schedule was already full. The thing is, this family didn't try to fit me into their schedule. They invited me into their life. In reality, their decision to open their home and their lives to me—and to others—made their schedule richer, not harder. During the years I lived there, they didn't throw a Christmas party. They threw a Christmas decorating party. They made the chili. The guests put the lights on the tree. For anyone who was far from home, the experience offered a blessed taste of home. Their hospitality welcomed us into a new kind of family. A Promise for Outsiders The prophet Isaiah tells us about a new kind of family—a family that welcomes the outsider into a promised land filled with hope. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow. ... No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah... (Isaiah 62:2–4) Isaiah is often called the "fifth gospel" because his words point so clearly to the coming of Christ. His prophecy was written across seasons of Israel's history—from strength, to exile, to restoration. Again and again, Isaiah reminds God's people that despite hardship, they will not be forsaken. The land will not remain desolate forever. God will give His people a new name, a new identity, and a renewed future. The promise of Israel, Isaiah says, is available to all. Those themes are instructive for us as we think about the life of the church. Like Israel, we have a collective memory. Many of us remember a time when it seemed like everyone we knew went to church. Now that time has passed, and it can feel as though we're living in exile. But exile changes us. It makes us stronger. We may dream of returning to the place where we once were, but that place never looks the same. The house we grew up in always feels smaller than it did when we were kids. We can't expect the church to look the same either. Like the prophet Isaiah, we remember that no matter the hardship, the people who are ushered into God's promise are given a new name and a new family. The promise of Israel is a blazing torch for all to see. When I say Israel, I don't mean simply the nation. I mean the promise: the promise of salvation, the promise that God delights in His people, and the promise that no matter how rejected or forgotten we may feel, God desires to give us a new name. The question for us is this: How is that promise made visible through our lives? From Outsiders to Family One of the most beautiful pictures of that promise is found in the story of Epiphany—the manifestation of Christ to people outside of Israel. The Magi follow the star to the home where Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are staying. Long before many recognized who Jesus was, outsiders were welcomed into His presence. I love celebrating Epiphany because, the truth is, we wouldn't be here without it. Which brings us back to family. The Magi are outsiders who are invited inside. They bring gifts to Jesus. Their story is a tangible reminder that the whole world has been invited into the celebration of God's covenant with His people. Think about it. Israel was once a closed family. There were rules about associating with outsiders. Through Jesus, that family was opened to the whole world. The promise that Abraham's descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky was beautifully echoed in the star that led the wise men to Jesus. Thankfully, Jesus' family didn't have the television up too loud when the wise men came to the door. Thankfully, they didn't wait until all the laundry was folded before welcoming them inside. There was something special about this family. They revealed something of God to the world, and the world couldn't help but notice. The same should be true of our families—and of the church as a family of families. If God's covenant with His people opened the door for outsiders to become family, how might God use our own families to invite others into His life? Three Ways to Help Outsiders Experience Family One of the gifts of the family who welcomed me into their home is that they showed me hospitality isn't complicated. It often begins with ordinary acts of openness. Celebrate holy days that tell the story of Jesus. Celebrate holidays in ways that invite neighbors into God's story. For Epiphany, invite friends to bring gifts for children in need. Let the children help the wise men journey to the manger scene. On the Feast of the Presentation, host a shower or blessing for a newborn in your neighborhood. Our celebrations can become opportunities for others to experience the welcome of God. Invite people into your life—not just your schedule. The family I lived with didn't try to squeeze me into an already busy calendar. They invited me into the life they were already living. Share errands with someone who's new in town. Invite neighbors over for a spontaneous Saturday breakfast—and don't clean the house beforehand. Hospitality isn't about creating perfect moments. It's about sharing everyday life. Pray with expectation. Before you leave for the grocery store, head out to dinner, or run errands, pray with your spouse, children, or housemates. Ask God to show you someone who needs encouragement or a blessing. People in our fresh expression have made this a regular practice, and they often come back with stories of God's work in the grocery aisle or around an ordinary meal. A New Name. A New Family. The promise of Israel is the promise of a new identity, a new family, and a new name. As we live into that promise ourselves, we also have the privilege of helping others discover that the Epiphany—the manifestation of God's power revealed in Jesus—is available to all. FROM THE ARCHIVES: Some ideas become more valuable with time. This article has been lightly updated to serve today's mission while preserving the author's original vision.
