We know most approaches to starting churches can be difficult, expensive, and often ineffective. We have helped hundreds of leaders discover how to develop communities of Jesus using techniques that can deeply impact their neighborhood, make new disciples and spread the gospel to those who do not know Jesus.

The Dinner Church Collective grew out of the work of Verlon and Melody Fosner, the leaders of Communities Dinners. Verlon spent years studying how the Apostolic-era church gathered, shared life and made disciples around shared meals. Dozens of missionaries have traveled to Seattle to learn how to start their own dinner churches. Verlon’s four books on the theology and process of dinner church provide tangible practices that anyone can use. Verlon and his team have taught their framework for starting churches to regional and national denominations across the United States. This has led to new churches communities in places as diverse as urban Michigan, rural North Carolina and the beaches of Florida.

The resources and events of the Dinner Church Collective will:

• Reintroduce you to dinner table theology: the way Jesus, the first Apostles and the early church encountered God together.
• You will come to understand how these dinner table experiences can make new disciples in places where other forms of churches have struggled or failed.
• Explain how others are starting unique church communities around the country.
• Provide you with tangible, step-by-step directions that will help you discover neighborhoods that need a dinner church, how to raise awareness of your new gathering and even recipes that you can use to feed a crowd.

Dinner Church is an effective and approach to starting new churches and evangelizing cities that makes sense in the cities of 21st century America. Large portions of our population—singles, the financially challenged, ethnic minorities and others—live in isolation. Many struggle to find healthy meals. Sadly, many of these people will never find their way into weekend church gatherings.

The historic Dinner Church still thrives in today’s world. Passages like Luke 5 show how Jesus built his band of disciples by eating meals with outcasts. John 13-17 demonstrates how he used the dinner table to teach about the Holy Spirit. The early church followed Jesus process, creating Agape’ feasts where the poor and outcast could gather at an abundant table, eat a meal together, and share stories talk about Jesus.

Dinner table theology still works today. Lives are transformed when lonely people are invited to a table full of food paid for by Christ. Jesus is waiting for just needs his followers to set the table.