New Church Encourages 'Table Talk'
by Laura Lehman Amstutz
Gerald Shenk talks with first time attender Nick Meyer, during the discussion time.
HARRISONBURG, Va. — Small groups, reflection, interaction, sharing meals, and artistic expression are usually used to describe a Sunday school class, not a church worship service. But at The Table, a new church, located on Eastern Mennonite University’s campus, these are a regular part of the worship service.
“This church grew out of a desire for more genuine worship and relationships at the core of the church,” said Sara Wenger Shenk, associate dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary and member of the leadership team at The Table.
“There are several aspects of the idea of a table that interested us,” Shenk continued, “the table of the Lord’s Supper, sitting ‘at tables’ in a way that allows genuine conversation and questions, and sitting at each other’s tables in our homes to enjoy good food. We gather ‘at the table’ to give thanks to God, often with music, and song that includes rhythm and dance.”
Each Sunday includes time for discussion
Each Sunday, following a brief message from the Scripture, everyone is invited to gather in “circle groups” for discussion, or to meditate silently, or even draw a picture of their thoughts from the morning. Then the group re-gathers for people to share what they have heard.
Chris Esh, an EMU freshman, attended The Table for the first time on Mar 18. He said, “I really like the after-sermon response time," he said. "My home church has sermon response, but it’s more like, if you have anything to say stand up and say it. You don’t take time to really think through the message.”
Some people choose to draw or color during the reflection time.
“At The Table, through discussion, I was able to wrestle with issues a little more and find more importance in it than if I just stood up and said something," Esh added.
The Table began in January of this year. Four couples have primary leadership of the church.
Carmen Shrock-Hurst, of the core leadership team said, “We joke about there being a couple in their 20’s, one in their 30’s, one in their 40’s and one in their 50’s on the leadership team.” But this diversity of ages provides an opportunity for creativity and flexibility.
Worship is creative
“We try not to just fill slots on a Sunday morning,” said worship team member Angie Clemens. “As a team we intentionally try to engage the Scriptures each week and see what emerges.”
Emi Oda, an EMU junior, has been attending The Table since it's inception. “For me I think church is a movement and I’ve been to a lot of churches where I kind of know what to expect, but I like that The Table is really different every Sunday. I feel like I see God in so many different ways, and that’s exciting.”
“I like that The Table incorporates multiple ways of learning, through experience of the scriptures, listening, speaking back, and seeing visually what the scriptures are about, said Mike Metzler, a first-year student at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, and member of the worship team. "As a former teacher I can appreciate that people learn in different ways, and I like that we incorporate all of these styles into the service.”
The group gathers for a meal each week
On many Sundays, the group celebrates the Lord’s Supper, sharing bread and grape juice during the service. But they also gather at designated host homes after the service for a meal.
Mike Metzler talks to the children before they gather the offering.
“I like how worship flows into a gathered meal together, " Metzler said. "We come together for worship, but that worship spills over into gathering around a real meal that is an extension of the worship time.”
The Table is also intentional about including children in the service. While few children attend, those who do help with offering, tell about a particular country the group is praying about, read scripture or sing as a way of engaging in vibrant, intergenerational worship.
Those in leadership at The Table call it “an emerging Mennonite church.” The emphasis on conversation, creative worship, belonging, hospitality and authenticity align The Table with the emerging church movement in the United States.
The Table meets at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays in the Discipleship Center on the EMU campus. To learn more about the church , visit the their website at www.thetablefellowship.net.
Posted 3/22/07
