My first experience at Table of Life was eye-opening.

Wilbur and Jim; 05/25 potluck

I’d been told how different it is from my other church experiences for weeks – if not months. I spent Saturday night double- and triple-checking the address of the pavilion where the meeting was and studying the route to get there. I woke up early on Sunday, debated over what to wear and bring for longer than I should have – Dressy or casual? or some of both? What shoes would be good for hanging out outside, whatever the weather would be? Should I bring water? Should I even bring my Bible? – and arrived feeling hesitant and unsure.

I was immediately welcomed by Becky and drawn into easy conversation until the service – yes, there was a service – started.

The service was much like what you typically think of when you hear “church service”, but with a touch of campfire vibes and an emphasis on community and connection. Worship consisted of a few songs accompanied by a single acoustic guitar, Zach’s box-drum, and our voices, with Linda singing the harmony. Next was communion – homemade bread and real wine, offered to everyone with a soft and reverent, “This is His body” or “This is His blood”. This was followed by prayer that followed the ACTS template – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. I went into it expecting to spend a moment or two reflecting on each part in my mind, then move on. Years of youth group and community group gatherings had trained me well.

Instead, something much more powerful happened.

One member would read a short intro to each section of the prayer, and then, as they felt led, other members would pray out loud. In this way, Table of Life members shared what they loved most about God, ways they were struggling, and small joys they were clinging to – in essence, the state of their minds and hearts that morning. It was a very moving few minutes and made me feel deeply connected with everyone there.

After this wonderful time came Zach’s sermon – which was actually less of a sermon and more of a guided conversation. We looked at Acts 1:1-11, in which the disciples ask the resurrected Jesus if the time for His kingdom has come. Jesus replies that they will not know the hour in which the kingdom will come, and then He ascends.

Zach broke this scripture down into three parts: Jesus writing his story into The Church (verses 1-5), Jesus writing His story into Table of Life (verses 6-9), and Jesus writing His story into our lives (verses 10-11). After explaining the significance of each section, he asked a question which we talked about at our respective picnic tables. Not only did Zach provide thought-provoking insight to these verses; he also incorporated community discussion about the Word of God.

After the service and a closing prayer came the food. During the service, one of the church members had fired up the coal grill and had started cooking hotdogs. Chips, watermelon slices, and cookies were laid out, and the kids ran over to enjoy the food with the rest of the church (a few members had taken them to the playground during the service for a makeshift children’s ministry). During this time of food and fellowship, I was approached by several members with words of welcome and questions about what I thought of my first attendance so far. I engaged with Jim, who told me about his journey in joining Table of Life, and later with other members who asked about college and my summer plans. This part of the gathering definitely took on more of a casual feel, with people laughing with each other and kids running around with bubbles. This went on for a good hour and a half, at which point most everyone headed out to enjoy the rest of their Sunday afternoons and those who stayed helped each other pack up cars.

My first Table of Life experience wasn’t as different as I thought it would be. There was still communion, a message, and a time of fellowship after. The main differences I noticed were a) we were outside and b) there was a greater focus on community and connection. The Table of Life experience, from what I can tell so far, is community – while more traditional churches focus on congregational worship, Table of Life seems to take a more personal approach and focuses on the individual and on smaller-group relationships.

Zach shared an analogy with me that explains what feels different. While usual church gatherings are more like proper, dining room table, use-the-fancy-silverware meals, Table of Life is like a cookout. During a dining room meal, everyone has an assigned seat, everyone knows what can and can’t be discussed – and who they’re going to talk to – nice clothes are worn, and manners are used. At a cookout, however, kids are running amuck, people are at ease and joking around, everyone contributes and moves around to different conversations, and a good time is had by all.

That was my first experience at Table of Life. I now understand why their weekly gatherings are literally called “potlucks”.