Setting the Table: Creative Ways to Build Real Community at Church
Last week, I wrote about the need to balance the stage and the table. We need moments of proclamation, but we also need spaces for connection. The problem is, most churches have spent decades perfecting the stage—and almost no time setting the table.
But what if reclaiming the table did not require a new building campaign or another program? What if it just took a little intentionality, a few open chairs, and a willingness to let people be seen and known?
Here are a few creative ways churches can start making space for real community—both on Sundays and throughout the week.
On Sundays: Bringing the Table Into the Gathering
1. Add a Weekly or Monthly Meal
It could be potluck-style. It could be catered. It could be as simple as soup and bread. The point is not the menu—it is the table. Eating together lowers defenses and opens doors. A monthly lunch after worship might do more for discipleship than a dozen sermons.
2. Create a “Stay and Talk” Space
Most church lobbies are built for movement, not lingering. Add some tables, chairs, or soft seating. Put out coffee and light snacks, and invite people to stay. A few intentional design tweaks can turn your foyer into a living room.
3. Use the Stage to Invite People to the Table
Have someone share a testimony about a conversation that happened over dinner. Announce upcoming home meals or group gatherings. Reinforce from the platform that the real work of ministry often happens after the service ends.
4. Celebrate Hospitality as a Spiritual Gift
Every church celebrates preaching, teaching, and music. But what if we honored the people who open their homes and cook meals as part of our discipleship strategy? Recognize and empower those who build community by setting the table.
5. “First Sunday Fellowship” for New Faces
Pick one Sunday a month where visitors and regulars are invited to connect over lunch. Keep it simple—order pizzas or serve finger foods. Ask two or three friendly families to sit intentionally with new guests. Hospitality does not have to be complicated—it just has to be real.
Between Sundays: Creating Space for the Table in Everyday Life
Some of the most meaningful ministry I have ever experienced did not happen at church. It happened in my living room.
Years ago, my wife and I invited a group of college students to come to our house every Wednesday night at 8pm. We were in our late thirties, they were all in their early twenties, and we had very little in common—except that we all wanted something real. There was no official lesson plan. Just a Bible text, some food, and time. Sometimes it was laughter and late-night stories. Other times it was tears and prayer. There was no end time, no polished structure. It was not a program. It was life together. And honestly, it was one of the best groups I have ever been part of.
We do not always need more structure. Sometimes, our people are so overprogrammed by church calendars that they have no margin left to be the church in their own lives. When we stop filling every night with events and give people space to breathe, they just might start inviting others to the table.
6. Equip People to Host Informal Dinners
You do not need a curriculum—just a table and an open door. Challenge people to invite someone they do not know well from church for a meal each month. No agenda. No pressure. Just good food and better conversation.
7. Normalize Gathering Outside the Building
Encourage coffee meetups, lunch after work, or park playdates for young families. Help people see discipleship not as a weekly event, but as an ongoing relationship. The more life we share, the more faith gets passed on.
8. Make Room in Your Small Groups for Sharing Life
Bible study is important. But so is the pot of chili before it starts. Build in time for meals, celebrations, and even just hanging out. When people eat together, they listen better, trust more, and stay longer.
9. Highlight Table Stories on Sundays
Use your announcements, videos, or testimonies to tell stories of what is happening between Sundays. If someone shared a meal with a widow, or hosted neighbors, or started a dinner group—share it. What gets celebrated gets repeated.
10. Challenge Leadership to Lead with Presence
Ask pastors, deacons, elders, and group leaders to be the first ones setting the table. The church will not do what the leaders are not doing. When leaders open their homes and lives, it sends a powerful message: discipleship is personal.
The truth is, most of us do not need more information. We need connection. We need someone to look us in the eye, hand us a plate, and ask how we are really doing. The table may be simple, but it is where some of the most sacred moments happen.
So this week, look for one way to make more room at the table. Your church does not need more programming—it just needs more presence.