It serves a couple of functions. First, obviously, the meal is a refreshment to especially the staff, praise team, tech team and others that come early.

Secondly, it allows the servers to connect with our guests who may be visiting for the first time. Thirdly, it allows us to provide a regular attender an opportunity to serve, get to know others, and take some ownership. This is one of the greatest blessings.

Not only can meals serve your own members, it can also act as a good evangelistic too. Food can act as a real draw for people. Even more so when the food acts a catalyst for the kind of Christian community that ought to be appealing to people.

In the early church, as people saw the Christian community, they found it attractive. Food can have that same community building, evangelistic pull today.