For the month of January, our community challenge is to invite friends, family and strangers to “come to the table.” Come eat, come listen, come share. All we have to do is come.
“Let’s get together some time” can be abruptly transformed to right now. We have an opportunity to open our doors and invite the world to come.
Grace Klein Community, Inc. will equip families in Birmingham, AL, with the food needed for the challenge. Our office is open Monday-Friday from 8:30-5pm and we have a variety of food ready to share. The address is 2652 Old Rocky Ridge Rd, Hoover, AL 35216. We will give you the food for the meal you will prepare. Your commitment is to use the food to build community; to invite others to come to the table.
We encourage starting with a simple prayer: “Jesus, please bring people to our table so we can love them so extravagantly, they’ll ask why!” *from “Come and Eat” by Bri McKoy
Come to the Table…
- Pray first and make a list of who you will invite to the table.
- Set a date and invite. If the first on the list declines, keep working your list until you fill the seats around your table.
- Try not to spend any money for this experience. Decorate your table with items around your house (or borrow decor from a friend) and plan to use food from GKC. The goal is for you to invest your time, not to be stressed about money, appearances or expectations.
- Come by GKC and pick up food needed for a meal. Make it work. Whether you create a cheese tray, donuts and coffee, or serve steak and potatoes, the point of the table is the love you will share not what you serve at the table.
- Put away the cellphones, turn off the TV, and prepare your hearts to love well. Prepare to ask purposeful questions and to really listen. Prepare to share your own stories. Be ready to engage.
- Open the door and welcome your guests to come to the table and watch what Jesus does. Share some of your stories with us via emailing [email protected] as your stories will inspire more stories.
A few reminders:
Do not worry about your house, whether it is big or small, clean or dirty, fancy or simple. The point is coming to the table.
No need to fret over who to invite!! Think neighbors, a nice couple you sit close to at church, the friend whose daddy is sick, that family with loud kids who never feels like they are invited anywhere, the person most different from you, a co-worker, or your brother. Anyone and everyone is welcome at the table.
Be prepared with a question jar on the table if the conversation is not flowing naturally. Email [email protected] if you need question ideas.
For the month of January, follow Facebook and Instagram for more “Come to the Table” ideas.
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” – Isaiah 55:1
