Table Communities

Inviting people into God’s family to experience his love and power

In a lonely, anxious, and divided world we believe God wants to set his people into family where they can find belonging, healing and purpose. Jesus regularly gathered his family of followers over a meal around a table in a way that embodied his in-breaking kingdom and invited people into it. Sometimes just his disciples were present, trading stories and asking questions, but often the last, the least and lost were found there too, experiencing healing and salvation in Jesus’ presence. The table was set for community and formation, but also for mission. We want to respond to an increasing spiritual curiosity and hunger in our nation by gathering into families that learn to host and feast on Jesus’ presence, and leave empty seats at the table where others can be invited to encounter him too.

1. Family Around The Table

We’re choosing covenant community over individual preference. A typical Table Community will have a core group of 8-12 adults (plus kids) that are part of St Basil’s, who live in proximity to each other, and commit to gathering consistently to eat, pray and share their lives around the table. With the aim of becoming a family of missional disciples sent to a wider group of friends and neighbours whom they are called to love, serve and host at the table.

2. Pursuing His Healing Love and Saving Power

We’re choosing truthful relationships over shame-driven superficiality. When we set aside our masks and are real with one another in God’s presence, he brings healing and freedom. In that place, we discover we are fully known and deeply loved. As we share stories and invite each other to trust the good news of Jesus’s gospel and live it out together, we will experience the power of his salvation in our midst.

3. Cultivating Missional Hearts

We’re choosing compassionate love over apathetic indifference. Jesus taught his disciples that they would be fruitful when they chose to stay close to him and the things that were important to him. As our hearts are transformed by his love and power, through prayer and fasting we want to cultivate a desire to share it with a hurting world, pouring out from the overflow and contending for renewal in people’s lives.

4. Being Sent Together

We’re choosing courageous obedience over fearful passivity. Jesus made disciples around the table and he sent his disciples to do the same. As disciples, we are placed in God’s family, yet we are also sent out—to serve the least and seek the lost with sacrifical love. Together, we want to prayerfully discern who God is sending us to and invite them to take their place at his table to experience his love and power.

The Son of Man came eating and drinking … he came to seek and to save the lost.

Luke 7:36, 19:10

How will they work?

  • Some groups have been gathering since Homes, we’re excited to support them as they continue to grow into families of missional disciples. Other groups are poised to launch, and others will start through the autumn term as we conclude conversations with potential leaders. The groups won’t be tied to geographical areas but it will be easier to practise being family together when people live close to each other. We want to thoughtfully and prayefully place people into groups bearing in mind existing relationships and the possibility for new ones, aiming for a breadth of life stage and faith stage, and leaving enough space to welcome in others who the group feel sent to.

  • Table Communities should be small enough for each member of the group to become known, for there to be space at the table to welcome others, and to enable everyone to play a part in the life of the group. They should also be large enough to build and sustain momentum. Although some groups that have already existed a while are a bit larger, a typical group will be 8-12 adults, plus kids and youth if they have them. Each group will also discern together a wider group of friends and neighbours whom they are called to love, serve and host at the table.

  • We believe these groups will grow into families when they commit to gathering regularly and consistently over the long haul, and as they spend structured and spontaneous, organised and organic time together. Each group will meet at least once a fortnight, although from experience, a gathering at least once a week will help a community to go deeper and further faster.

  • Gathering in different modes will help groups respond to the discipleship needs of both kids and adults, and those we’re called to love, serve and host at the table. Often this will look like sharing the joys and sorrows of the past week over a meal and praying for each other with kids and youth present. Sometimes just the adults might gather to seek God’s presence and intercede for the people they feel they are being sent to. Other times a group might throw a dinner party or head to the park and invite others along. Each group’s rhythm will vary and will likely change over time as they follow the Spirit, and discover what bears fruit.

  • Most parents and kids will want to have at least one other family in their Table Community so where there is a critical mass groups will include kids and youth, but a few might stay as just adults initially. Groups can be creative with how they gather with kids in mind - sometimes the whole group will participate in an activity designed for kids, other times kids will join in with discussion and prayer or even just listen/observe, and at other times just the adults might gather to go deep in conversation and prayer, with the kids either being supervised in another part of the place where people are gathered, or not present at all.

  • As mentioned above, we’re excited to help these groups to start well by placing people into groups. Please get in touch using the form below if you’d like to commit to one. If you’re in a group that’s been gathering unofficially and want to stay in it as it becomes a Table Community then have a conversation with those leading it.

Want to commit to a Table Community?
Get in touch.

We want to prayerfully set each member of our church who wants to commit to a Table Community into one. Let us know if you’d like to join in here and we’ll suggest one for you.