What is the Fellowship Meal

Every two months we extend our time of fellowship, after the morning service, to enjoy a potluck meal together.  It provides an opportunity to build stronger relationships among members but it’s an open invitation to all who come to our church from the community.  It’s a practise that goes back to the early church when Christians from all walks of life and of varying status came together.

They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people.

Acts 2:46-47

Not to be confused with the Lord’s Table, this was not a sharing of the sacraments although that was also done in their homes, rather this is about the fellowship of a loving, caring and supportive community.  Acts 2v5 tells us that “Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven” and after listening to Peter preach “Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2v41).  A lot of these new believers were not going home, possibly they felt there was nowhere to be but with their fellow believers in this first church and the believers of Jerusalem welcomed them.  (Acts 2:42-45) The implication of these fellowship meals then was that this was more than just socialising, rather it was a time for these early believers to come together to get to know and encourage each other, and to share.

Our Fellowship Meal is about sharing too, not just what we are able to bring but sharing our time to talk, to listen, to make new friendships and renew old ones.  What motivates us is love, and the showing and sharing of the love that God has shown to us.  In verse 47, the Greek word for favour, χάρις charis, is defined as (a) that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: (b) grace of speech, good will, loving-kindness, favour.  We pray that is the description someone would use to express our fellowship time together.

Like food, fellowship throughout the week is what sustains us as a church; it allows us to share in the wonder of what God is doing, to study God’s word, pray and to be of one mind in love and unity and to have an attitude of joy.  So, if when checking the church calendar, you see that we are having a fellowship meal, don’t be put off staying.  Our members contribute dishes as they are able, but whether people can contribute or not all are welcome to enjoy the meal.  Winter especially is a time when the slow cookers come out in force, and we enjoy an array of different dishes.