Dinner Church Podcast

In this bonus episode, we sit down with Dr. Mike Graves, author of Table Talk and plenary speaker for the Dinner Church Summit 2025 in Pittsburgh (Nov 6–8). He shares the personal story behind his ministry—childhood roots, encounters with Jesus, and the life messages God has entrusted to him. We also get a preview of what excites him about the Table and why it remains one of the most transformative spaces for the Gospel today.Register now for the Dinner Church Summit at freshexpressions.com/dinner-church-summit-2025Mike Graves is Scholar in Residence at Country Club Christian Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Before retiring from teaching, he was the Wm. K. McElvaney Professor of Preaching and Worship at Saint Paul School of Theology, also in Kansas City. His most recent book is Table Talk: Rethinking Communion and Community. 

In this episode, we talk with Dean Miller from Impact Missions of the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) about the Food to Faith Initiative and the role of Dinner Churches in emergency response ministry. Dean shares about his family, the challenges of disaster relief, and powerful stories of lives changed. We also explore how the Church is responding to Food to Faith and his vision for Dinner Churches in BGAV.Join us for a compelling conversation on meeting people in crisis and inviting them into faith—one meal at a time.

What happens when ministry steps outside the walls of tradition and meets people around the table? In this episode, Sandy Johnson shares her journey of planting a Dinner Church in Ocean Shores, Washington, and how this unique model restores dignity and fosters transformation. Sandy reflects on the power of simple obedience, the challenges of earning trust in her community, and the profound spiritual growth she has witnessed. Whether you're curious about Dinner Church or seeking inspiration for your own ministry, this conversation will leave you encouraged and motivated to follow where God leads.

Even in the most robust churches, leaders can find themselves  disheartened, feeling like their efforts to share the Gospel aren’t making a real impact. The excitement and connection they long to see in their congregations just aren’t there.But what if the answer is as simple as gathering people around a table? In this episode, we talk with David Bennett, a coach for pastors who are ready to try something different. David shares how the simple act of sharing a meal can transform not only churches but entire neighborhoods. Learn how Dinner Churches are helping leaders bring their communities together, sparking genuine conversations and deeper connections.David is passionate about helping churches engage their communities in a fresh, meaningful way. As the leader of Mission 330 and Mission Converge, he works to equip pastors to build genuine relationships in a post-Christian world. Serving as a U.S. missionary with the Assemblies of God, David focuses on the power of good neighboring and the transformative impact of “table theology” on local ministries.

What does it take for bivocational leaders to build a thriving Dinner Church in the heart of a big city? In this episode, Ben and Jordan Arias share their journey from small-town Georgia to urban Chicago, where they planted two Dinner Churches. They discuss the challenges and rewards of bivocational leadership, the unexpected family they found in Chicago, and the powerful role of Dinner Church in their own lives. Now back in Georgia, Ben and Jordan are opening their own table for a new kind of “Passover,” inviting neighbors and family to experience church as an expression of identity and calling. Listen in for an inspiring story of faith, community, and transformation.

Church planting is harder than it used to be. Could Dinner Church provide a new path for denominations, networks and church planters? Don Ross is the superintendent for the Northwest Ministry Network, one of the largest church-planting networks in the Assemblies of God denomination. He has championed a network-wide Dinner Church initiative that has added dozens of new congregations to the states of Washington and northern Idaho over the past few years. In this episode, you’ll hear from Don about how his approach has helped open doors to start Dinner Churches in unlikely places.

David Brakke was commissioned by his church in Seattle to plant in Billings, Montana, two full states away. Today, established churches in his denomination have started Dinner Churches, and every single one now outnumbers the parent church. In this interview, you’ll hear David reflect not only on the success of this journey but also on the unique difficulties they continue to face.

Brad planted a traditional church in a small town in Ohio that pivoted to a Dinner Church midstream. Initially, it had significant impact, but then small-town issues pressed against his efforts. In this compelling story, you will see why some leaders are looking for a “mission-first” approach to starting communities of faith.

How much difference can a Dinner Church make? In this episode, you'll hear from Beckie Adams, a Dinner Church leader in rural New Mexico. Over two years, their "Jesus Table" congregation has grown to the same size as their Sunday morning congregation. But their numerical success has happened in spite of the drugs, alcohol, and poverty that are an inescapable reality in their region. Listen to this podcast to explore the difference one small church in a small town can make.

When Megan Monterrosa hosted her first Dinner Church gathering, only four visitors showed up. In this episode, you’ll hear about why Megan persevered and how they rapidly grew to two flourishing congregations.

Dan had a plan for planting in an exciting city, but through a series of nudges, they ended up in a small town with a significant drug problem. In this fascinating interview, you’ll hear how they attracted one-sixth of their town to their Dinner Church. You’ll also hear about why they stayed after the COVID pandemic shut down their congregation, and what their ministry looks like today.

“Meals were the main venue for the arrival of God's kingdom,” says Tim Mackie, describing the work of Jesus in the books of Luke and Acts.In this unique bonus episode, host Verlon Fosner and producer Chris Morton welcome BibleProject’s Tim Mackie (Bible scholar) and Jon Collins (Explainer and Visual Storyteller) to help us understand why Jesus’ ministry focused so much on meals.BibleProject’s enormously popular animated explainer videos, in-depth podcast, and ever-expanding free library of resources have helped Christians around the world grow in their understanding of Scripture. This episode will help you understand how the Dinner Church movement is a natural outgrowth of Jesus' own ministry approach. You will also gain useful insight into how to better teach the stories of Jesus at your tables.Explore BibleProject resources at bibleproject.com, subscribe to their YouTube channel at youtube.com/bibleproject, and listen to their podcast at bibleproject.com/podcasts/the-bible-project-podcast.You can learn more about the Dinner Church Collective at dinnerchurch.com and explore our in-depth graduate-level training at dinnerchurch.com/graduate-course. 

Is there a “right” time to plant a Dinner Church? Probably not, according to David Kidd, a Dinner Church leader in Ohio. David’s congregation was in the midst of major transitions when he and his team started a new table-centered ministry. While it was a chaotic time, they now have a thriving community alongside their established congregation, and an initiative to start more across the state.(This episode is a corrected version of "Episode 4: Starting a Dinner Church in the Midst of Chaos with David Kidd" that was originally released July 15.)

What if your church is thriving, but not in the way you want it to? In this discussion, you’ll hear from Josh Gering, who oversees five dinner churches in a County that is exactly between Seattle, WA and Portland, OR. Josh’s church was doing great, but they wanted to reach more people outside of the reach of their church. This interview highlights the unique ways Dinner Churches can work alongside existing congregations to do what they cannot.

Who starts a Dinner Church? In this episode, Verlon reconnects with Jeremy Veninga, who leads two Dinner Churches in St. Louis. Jeremy describes his sense of calling, and how he overcame his lack of formal education. Listen and learn how God is using everyday people to do extraordinary things.

Dinner Church is a simple, Biblical, and transformative approach to starting new expressions of Church.In Season 2, Dinner Church Collective founder and director Verlon Fosner is checking in with some of our exciting and committed leaders, each of whom has graduated from the Dinner Church School of Leadership. Because of their passion to start and multiply Dinner Churches, they have each completed in-depth, seminary-level training to equip them to lead a movement.In today's special preview episode, Verlon sits down with Jon Davis to discuss what happens in the Dinner Church School of Leadership. You'll hear about the ins and outs of this unique approach to Church leadership training and how you can be a part.Learn how to join the Dinner Church School of Leadership at http://dinnerchurch.com/graduate-course

Join Verlon Fosner, Jon Davis, and Heather Evans for a special bonus episode discussing our first-ever Dinner Church Summit! You will learn why they are excited about the event and the future of the Dinner Church Collective.Listen today—and then go and register!

Host JD Larson returns with his wife ChristianAnn to tell their own story. You'll hear how a COVID-era shift to Dinner Church allowed them to reimagine their Church Plant and how it has transformed their ministry and family.You can get to know the Dinner Church Collective at dinnerchurch.com and join us live in person for the inaugural Dinner Church Summit, November 9th-11th in Orlando, Fl. Details at dinnerchurch.com/summit.If you've benefited from the Dinner Church Podcast, please take a moment to share about it with your friends and give us a review on iTunes.

How does a 100-year-old, traditional, declining church reinvent itself? In this special episode from the Fresh Expressions archive, you'll hear from Dr. Verlon Fosner about the journey and process that led his congregation to transition into a network of Dinner Churches. You will learn about the particular and sometimes tricky and painful steps they took along the way. If you are struggling in a declining Church, or you are overwhelmed by the process of change, this podcast will help you.You can get to know the Dinner Church Collective at dinnerchurch.com and join us live in person for the inaugural Dinner Church Summit, November 9th-11th in Orlando, Fl. Details at dinnerchurch.com/summit.Verlon alongside his wife Melodee Fosner have been in church leadership for 35 years. They are founders of Community Dinners, a network of Dinner Churches in Seattle and Dinner Church Collective, a movement of Dinner Church practitioners across North America. Verlon is the author of books like Welcome to Dinner, Church and A Trowel and a Sword. When not traveling to train dinner church leaders, Verlon and Melodee can be found with their grandkids in Seattle and Nashville.If you've benefited from the Dinner Church Podcast, please take a moment to share about it with your friends and give us a review on iTunes.

Any congregation can start a Dinner Church, but what can a whole network of Churches do? Al and Carl are on staff with the Ohio Ministry Network, a group of churches with a passion for multiplication and church planting. In this episode, they'll share how they partnered with Fresh Expressions North America to launch more than 20 dinner churches in one year.You'll hear about the thinking behind this initiative, how they selected and resourced particular congregations, and the fruit that has come from this work.You can get to know the Dinner Church Collective at dinnerchurch.com and join us live in person for the inaugural Dinner Church Summit, November 9th-11th in Orlando, Fl. Details at dinnerchurch.com/summit.If you've benefited from the Dinner Church Podcast, please take a moment to share about it with your friends and give us a review on iTunes.

Dinner Church is a simple, relaxed approach to starting new faith communities. But like many new faith communities, it may draw young families and an overwhelming number of kids. What does it mean to embrace the children in our midst? And how can Dinner Church be a discipling experience for all ages?In this episode, Heather Evans is joined by Amy McGlynn, a part of her own Dinner Church team member who focuses on kids. You'll hear about their challenges and what they've seen God do in and through their church's kids. Amy even gets into nitty-gritty details like making a budget!You can get to know the Dinner Church Collective at dinnerchurch.com and join us live in person for the inaugural Dinner Church Summit, November 9th-11th in Orlando, Fl. Details at dinnerchurch.com/summit.If you've benefited from the Dinner Church Podcast, please take a moment to share about it with your friends and give us a review on iTunes.

What does it mean for our marginalized neighbors to encounter Jesus? What about kids? In this episode, you’ll hear from Isaac Olivarez, founding pastor of Urban Outreach, a Dinner Church in Denver, Colorado. You’ll learn what it’s like to be a Dinner Church in the city, who he encountered there and what he learned along the way.Isaac and his wife, Jaime, founded Urban Outreach Denver in 2012 and planted a Thursday night dinner church called Community Dinners, a church for Denver’s homeless and marginalized in 2013. UO Denver is located in Five Points, an inner city Denver neighborhood historically known for crime, drugs and poverty, but that is currently experiencing a resurgence of economic growth. Isaac and Jaime also launched a Monday night “Community Dinner” for kids called Little Rascals, and host a summer kids camp, short-term missions teams, back-to-school outreaches, as well as Thanksgiving and Christmas outreaches. Get to know the Dinner Church Collective at dinnerchurch.com and join us live in person for the inaugural Dinner Church Summit, November 9th-11th in Orlando, Fl. Details at dinnerchurch.com/summit.If you've benefited from the Dinner Church Podcast, please take a moment to share about it with your friends and give us a review on iTunes.

You can start a Dinner Church in almost any context. In this episode, you'll hear from Megan Monterrosa who has started two Dinner Churches in suburban neighborhoods in Washington State. Megan brings not only a passion for life transformation, but a love for tasty food to her ministry. Listen in to hear how Megan reimagined the Dinner Church model for her context and the similarities you find anywhere that people gather around Jesus' table.Get to know the Dinner Church Collective at dinnerchurch.com and join us live in person for the inaugural Dinner Church Summit, November 9th-11th in Orlando, Fl. Details at dinnerchurch.com/summit.Megan Monterrosa serves on staff at the Grove Church in Marysville, Washington where she leads a Dinner Church called The Neighborhood, and is an executive assistant to the lead pastor. She is passionate about reaching the lost, seeing Jesus move in the lives of individuals, and helping them discover their God-given purpose in missional living. She is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree from Kairos University and is in the process of becoming a licensed minister with the Assemblies of God.If you've benefited from the Dinner Church Podcast, please take a moment to share about it with your friends and give us a review on iTunes.

When does a meal become a Dinner Church? Join theologian, professor, and pastor David Fitch as he describes the actions and postures Jesus-followers can take to create table settings where people can experience the Holy Spirit at work. He also helps Christians consider how to invite others who don’t believe to join them in these spaces.David E. Fitch, PhD (Northwestern University), holds the B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary. He founded Life on the Vine Christian Community in Chigago, and is author of books like "Faithful Presence," coauthor of coauthorship on "Prodigal Christianity”, and a speaker on church mission, leadership, and theology. Fitch's writings span Christianity Today to academic journals.Get to know the Dinner Church Collective at dinnerchurch.com and join us live in person for the inaugural Dinner Church Summit, November 9th-11th in Orlando, Fl. Details at dinnerchurch.com/summit.

How do you explain Dinner Church? More importantly, how do you explain it to key volunteers who have invested time and energy into the kinds of services and programs a Dinner Church may not ever develop?Heather Evans, co-host of the Dinner Church podcast, has started numerous dinner churches in a variety of communities in South Florida. In this conversation, you’ll learn about her approach to forming teams and helping them explore what Dinner Church should look like in their context.If you are a church leader who want to explore Dinner Church with your congregation this episode is the perfect place to start.Get to know the Dinner Church Collective at dinnerchurch.com and join us live in person for the inaugural Dinner Church Summit, November 9th-11th in Orlando, Fl. Details at dinnerchurch.com/summit.

Why did the early church focus more on food than sermons? And how should that affect how we do church today?Join us for a fascinating conversation with scholar and author Dr. Mike Graves. Delve into the early church's expression of the agape feast and how it informs and prophetically influences today's dinner church. This episode is perfect for church planters, church history nerds and everything in between.Dr. Mike Graves is author of Table Talk: Rethinking Communion and Community. He serves as scholar in Residence at Country Club Christian Church in Kansas City, Missouri.Get to know the Dinner Church Collective at dinnerchurch.com and join us live in person for the inaugural Dinner Church Summit, November 9th-11th in Orlando, Fl. Details at dinnerchurch.com/summit.

How did a struggling 100-year old church grow into a network of over a dozen Dinner Churches, and go on to inspire the 300 new dinner church plants? In this first episode of the Dinner Church Podcast, you will hear about that journey firsthand from Verlon and Melodee Fosner. This episode is packed with wisdom, stories, and practical advice, perfect for anyone learning about Dinner Church for the first time or trying to start one.Verlon and Melodee Fosner have been in church leadership for 35 years. They are founders of Community Dinners, a network of Dinner Churches in Seattle and Dinner Church Collective, a movement of Dinner Church practitioners across North America. Verlon is the author of books like Welcome to Dinner, Church and A Trowel and a Sword. When not traveling to train dinner church leaders, Verlon and Melodee can be found with their grandkids in Seattle and Nashville.Get to know the Dinner Church Collective at dinnerchurch.com and join us live in person for the inaugural Dinner Church Summit, November 9th-11th in Orlando, Fl. Details at dinnerchurch.com/summit.

Dinner Churches are starting all over North America. Why? It's not just that they are an effective, affordable, and contextual approach to church planting. They also follow in the footsteps of Jesus and the early church, who made disciples and cultivated community around the table.In this podcast, you'll be led by J.D. and Heather, two longtime pastors now leading Dinner Churches. You will hear from theologians, historians, and other Dinner Church practitioners.Any ordinary church can start a Dinner Church. The Dinner Church Podcast will teach you how.Learn more about the Dinner Church Collective and our first-ever Summit at dinnerchurch.com/summit.