Church In Hard Places
Zach Bauer, Red Door Church Sioux Falls, SD
As a kid, one of my favorite things about summer was going to get an ice cream cone. My go to choice every time was the vanilla soft serve swirl dipped in butterscotch. What made this treat amazing was hardened butterscotch shell. You had your choice of cherry, chocolate or butterscotch. Still to this day, when the weather changes and summer is approaching I get nostalgic.
Obviously, since my childhood, ice cream has become a multibillion-dollar industry. We have ice cream flavors galore. Every kind of flavor imaginable is now available.
So what do ice cream flavors and church have in common?
Church can be a lot like ice cream flavors, each are unique, diverse and influenced by those they attract and reach.
Some churches prefer liturgy, others want a rock band, while some prefer larger gatherings and others small groups. Some add a kick of spice, a touch of soul, or they experiment with fresh, new ingredients.
The bride of Christ has many expressions and each one brings something beautiful to the table.
Galatians 2:7-10 "On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along."
We see that Peter, John, and Jesus’ half-brother James stayed in Jerusalem to lead churches mainly made up of Jewish Christians. They intentionally sang songs, used language, and ate food that fit their culture, while remaining true to the gospel. On the other side we see Paul and Barnabas hit the road to plant churches among Gentiles and those churches had different songs, different language, and different food that fit non-Jewish cultures while remaining true to the gospel.
What does this mean? The message is what really matters, and the style is not a big deal. Too often, arguments occur over style, which is really just various kinds of wrapping paper on the same gift of grace through Jesus.
Red Door planted a new church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in the summer of 2012. Since the beginning, Red Door felt compelled to reach those in the margins. Those that are vulnerable, exiled, and disconnected. Over the years, Red Door connected and reached in various ways those it felt called to. In 2017, Red Door began to sense a new expression and opportunity to reach those in our city.
As we started to build relationships and care for those in the margins, one thing became clear: the vulnerable, exiled, and disconnected in our community felt excluded and unwelcome in church. Of course, there were various different reasons why people felt excluded but the main thing Red Door knew was “they belong in the family”.
What better way to do this than with warm food around tables in friendship, laughter and connectedness? Imagine, church around a table!
All through the Gospels, we witness Jesus sitting at tables surrounded by people. As followers of Jesus, we are invited to follow His example by gathering around tables. Something as radically ordinary as setting a table can create space for people to experience the love of God and the hospitality of family.
This launched the vision of Red Door to invite our neighbors – of all ages, ethnicities, and lifestyles – to our table. This was a chance to gather in community with the rich mosaic-like diversity that reflects Sioux Falls. We felt called to a unique way to use a meal to engage those in our community who are vulnerable, exiled and disconnected.
At our church gatherings we share a bountiful meal together. Everyone is welcome. No one is excluded. We take time to know and hear from one another. The meal leads us into a time to reflect and engage in a couple worship songs or spoken words. We then take time to unpack a Bible story. The story allows for conversations and discussion around the table. This gives space for doubts, questions, and revelations. We end our time with prayer and ministry for anyone in need.
At Red Door we have a vision of multiplying table gatherings throughout our city, by inviting people to the table, embracing the messy and together following Jesus.
In 2020 (of all years) Red Door had the opportunity to launch our first table gathering on Monday nights. We were invited into a ministry center that works with low income families in the community. This gave us the opportunity to connect with the vulnerable and disconnected. Red Door launched and began to gather families for dinner around the table. Quickly Red Door began to see churchless families coming for a meal and staying for community. In the fall of 2020, we decided to transition our Sunday church gathering into a breakfast church and move to the local homeless shelter. This move was unique. With COVID and membership being down, we prayerfully sought God’s direction. With the elders and the church being in favor, Red Door moved into the homeless shelter.
This Sioux Falls homeless shelter serves over 150,000 meals a year and provides shelter for an average of 150 people a night. In November 2020, we moved into the women’s and family center. We gather every Sunday for breakfast, music, kid’s activities and a message. We invite the families in the center to belong and join the church family.
Red Door believes the table is a visual representation of a Christ’s invitation to belong. We see the church as the family of God. A family we belong to. Despite our differences, background or past, when we belong to Christ we are now family.
The Bible tells us Jesus’ mission was to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus has now commissioned us to join Him on this rescue mission. With the current state of culture and the increase of those disconnected from church, we feel it's time for a new expression of the church. We see the Red Door table gathering as a way to take the church Jesus loves closer to where people Jesus loves actually are.
