Dinner Church, Soul+Food, is about community

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN

Bethany Lutheran Church, on the corner of 39th St. and 36th Ave., welcomes community members to join them for dinner on the first and third Saturday each month from 5-7pm. The idea for Dinner Church came from Pastor Jo Bauman, Bethany’s minister for the past 2 1/2 years. “Church isn’t about the building,” she said, “it’s about the community.” With that idea in mind, Bauman and her congregation have been throwing the doors wide open for almost a year, providing a welcoming space for people who want to have a worship experience, but aren’t likely to go to a traditional service.

What exactly is Dinner Church? As you enter Bethany, a friendly person is there to greet you and to walk you downstairs to the dining area. The tables are gracefully set with linens and glass dishes; flowers and candles add to the atmosphere. Adults prepare food in the kitchen, while kids play or do art activities together. Everyone is invited to find a seat, communion is passed, a meal blessing is shared and the food is served.

Bauman delivers the blessing with warmth and ease. Pastoring is her third career; she heeded a mid-life call to ministry and never looked back. “All of my jobs have been about change and transformation,” she said, “architecture, marketing and ministry have that in common!” Most people who start a new job get a new business card but Bauman has four, each with one of her own “Theological Mottos” written across the top.

#1: A generous spirit is hard to resist. The soul + food that was served recently was delicious: tacos with all kinds of healthy fixins’ and everything needed to go with them. Meals like that take planning and coordination which Maryann Eide, a retired caterer, generously provided. “The experience has pretty much saved me,” said Eide when she talks about what Dinner Church has meant to her. “I had serious health problems right about the time we were getting the program off the ground. I experienced the deaths of a few significant family members too. I was feeling so sad. Deciding to channel my energy and resources back into the church, into my faith, was the best decision I could have made.”

#2: It’s all conversation. Dinner Church is by nature much less formal than a regular church service—you not only get to bring your food into the worship space, but you also get to talk. There was a joyful noise in the dining room, the sounds of people visiting and children laughing. As Kyle Haemig, whose grandparents are long-time members of Bethany, said, “this church, and these dinner events, are about blending the very old with the very new.” Conversation is at the heart of growing this spiritual community.

#3: Comfort is sometimes the death of the Gospel. As part of the worship portion of the evening, a short video was shown on the subject of forgiveness. It raised the question, what is forgiveness? Is it an attitude, an action, or both? A lively discussion followed, and it was clear that people were free to express their opinions. Honesty was more valued than conformity.

#4: God doesn’t do bad design and neither should we. Congregation member Rachel Hefte noted, “I joined this church because it stood for inclusiveness and welcoming all people.” That spirit of love and hospitality was apparent in Soul + Food. Pastor Jo’s goal for the congregation and the community that participates at Bethany Lutheran Church? “I want to open the building up, almost like a community center. If a church is open only to its own, it’s not a church—it’s a club. We already house meetings and events for all kinds of groups like Transition Longfellow, Minnesota Facilitator’s Network, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and Gardening Matters, but we can do much more. Everyone is welcome, and it’s time to shake things up!”

All photos by Margie O'Loughlin