Advent Dinner Church
Dinner Churches are happening all over the country these days. Among all kinds of congregations and denominations. Even among people who’ve given up on the “traditional church” all together. Inspired by the way the early Christians gathered (as described in Acts 2:46), dinner church has become a way to participate in the simple yet powerful ritual of friends and strangers sharing food around a table- something we seem to be doing less and less of these days. These kinds of gatherings can open up a space to share more honestly about ourselves, truly listen to each other, and connect more deeply to what really matters. For some they even become a new way to do church, one that doesn’t come with so much hurt and baggage.
To help you host your own , we created 26-page guide to hosting a dinner church and a liturgy to follow when you do. We focused this gathering on Advent/Christmas because in the Christmas season, when people are looking for more meaningful ways to celebrate and a greater sense of community,we believe a gathering like this could be a beautiful gift to give to the people in your local church, or to any small group - friends, family, neighbors, people you know, people you don’t know yet.
It includes preparation ideas for those who’ve never planned a dinner church before, as well as words to say, songs to sing (including some more inclusive-language versions of familiar carols) even printable handouts for the evening.