One Wednesday a month you will find me folding a tablecloth into my purse and heading out to my local. When Jeff and I first designed our ministry proposal we knew that we needed gateway events. These were times when people who were curious about the new start could easily spend some time with us finding out about who we are and what we are about. Theology on Tap was the first event. With our small leadership team we agreed to meet one Wednesday a month for questions and conversations. Anyone can bring any topic they would like to discuss. Sometimes we have a plan in advance because someone has emailed their question and other times we just start by checking in and seeing how life has been going, which invariably leads to a theological discussion. My favorite was when we talked about the very nature of divinity. Sitting around with people who are interested in plumbing deep issues of belief, uncertainty, and faith is always a challenging and fun time.
We meet in a bar/restaurant because that is a place where people know how to show up. Unlike in a church where it’s unclear sometimes where you enter, where you sit, and when to stand everyone knows how to walk into a restaurant and sit at a table. To help new people find us I bring the aforementioned tablecloth. We’re the only table in the joint with a tablecloth, so no one has to feel awkward about walking up to strangers to find out if they are in the right place. The content of our time together is also familiar to people. A conversation is something that doesn’t take special knowledge or include unfamiliar rituals.
The bar serves food and yes alcohol and each person orders what they want and pays for themselves. It’s an equal system where no one is being done a favor and therefor beholden to some group. One of the downsides of “free” church events is that most savvy folks know nothing is free. The meal or event normally comes with the strings of pressure to join a group or hear a testimony.
Gateway events are key to what we are doing here in Sellwood. They are the second step in what churchy people would call a discipling process which begins with building a network of people we know in the community and ends up with a group of committed people meeting weekly to focus on spiritual health and growth. Our plan is to help facilitate the spiritual growth of our friends and neighbors and sometimes that involves a tablecloth as a tool of hospitality.
-E
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