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– by Kristen Curtis
Has your congregation been praying about new ways to impact your community with the hope that Jesus offers? Have you been noticing people around you who are lonely? Are you concerned about your neighbors going hungry as fuel and grocery prices continue to rise?
Starting a Dinner Church just might be the answer! Planting new congregations around dinner tables throughout the communities where followers of Jesus lived is one of the ways that the early Church grew rapidly . . . and there is a new movement of the Holy Spirit around dinner tables in our day. There are even numerous testimonies of churches that have few Sunday attenders and small budgets planting vibrant Dinner Churches whose attendance significantly exceeds that of the sponsoring church’s regular attendance. And this kind of ministry breathes new life into the sponsoring churches as well by building friendships with people who would never walk into a sanctuary at 11:00 on a Sunday morning, but desperately need Jesus and the kind of community the church offers. And this method of evangelism and church planting is so simple – invite people from the community God brings to your attention to a regularly scheduled community meal where people feel safe and cared for, and where they are well-fed. A story of Jesus is shared with the group, and as relationships with new friends are built in this environment, conversations about Jesus and the difference he can make in every person’s life naturally follows.
While we know that if God is calling us to do something, he always provides the resources to make it happen, it is sometimes easier to risk trying something new when funding barriers are removed and when training is provided so you know you’ve got some “tried and true” strategies for starting well. To that end, Impact Missions and Fresh Expressions are offering Seed Grants and training for congregations to start new Dinner Churches.
Impact Missions and Fresh Expressions will provide:
- Up to two rounds of funding based on how often a new Dinner Church plans to gather. The purpose of the funds is to cover average Dinner Church costs for meals and supplies (not leaders’ salaries) for 35 participants:
- Round 1 (first 6 months of participation)
- Dinner Churches that plan to meet monthly can receive up to $750
- Dinner Churches that plan to meet twice a month can receive up to $1,500
- Dinner Churches that plan to meet weekly can receive up to $3,000
- Round 2 (second 6 months of participation). After the sponsoring church or the Dinner Church submits a mid-year report,
- Dinner Churches that are meeting monthly can receive up to $750
- Dinner Churches are meeting twice a month can receive up to $1,500
- Dinner Churches are meeting weekly can receive up to $3,000
- Training: Dinner Church Encounter and Dinner Church Launch training will be provided at low cost to grant recipients (a max of $100 per congregation).
- Facilitated Peer Learning Groups will be formed for those interested in meeting regularly with others who have received Dinner Church Seed Grants for mutual support and learning.
- Round 1 (first 6 months of participation)
Churches that receive funding will need to agree to the following:
- Attend a Dinner Church Encounter and a Dinner Church Launch training prior to beginning.
- Agree to a covenant regarding use of grant funds and reporting.
- Host their first dinner church before December 31, 2026.
- Provide mid-year and year-end reports on how funds were utilized, plans for becoming self-sustaining, what they are learning, and stories of the impact their Dinner Church is having on participants, the sponsoring church, and the community.
Applications will open later this month at: https://impactmissionsmovement.org/national/local-opportunities/hunger-ministries/