Why Your Table Might Be the Most Powerful Ministry Tool You Have
And how making time is the first step to making disciples
I wonder if what we really need is a paradigm shift on what successful ministry looks like. Platforms are both great and necessary, I mean Jesus ministered at the Sermon on the Mount- a living example that reach is a prerogative of discipleship.
However the older I get, the more I realise: that many of the significant ministry moments we have the privilege of leading in are behind the curtain, in our living rooms, not on a stage but around a table.
When Jesus gave the Great Commission to “go and make disciples,” He wasn’t just giving us a task. He was offering us an invitation to be part of very real life transformation. And if we’re honest, discipleship can sometimes feel lofty or intimidating, like something reserved for the few, the trained, or the spiritually elite.
But what if the most powerful ministry move you can make… is simply making time?
"Making Time Is the First Step to Making Disciples"
I wonder if there’s a call to Christians to reassess whether our calendars reflect the message that discipleship only takes place via Pastors. And that actually we may never say it out loud, but that’s what we practice. We look more like the ‘great disconnection’ rather than the Great Commission.
What I’ve learnt and continuing to remind myself of is that regardless of the very real ebbs and flows, highs and lows and nature of lift- that the reassessment of my values and priorities reflect what Jesus has ultimately implored us to go and do. And I argue that if we are to multiply the people entrusted to us, it first starts with making time for them. I wonder how many of our diaries actually resemble that?
Tables That Build Temples
In fact what if we took in further?
As leaders have we ever wondered why something isn’t firing, volunteering isn’t pumping, members seem disengaged, a newbie is falling to the wayside via relational compromise, or simply passion seems to be waning- to be honest, you name it.
Well, what if in order to build the temple, we need to learn how to build tables?
Other than the irreplaceable need for prayer; almost every other issue is a person issue. And people issues, providing there’s willingness, begin being resolved through someone spending time, speaking in and nurturing said individual.
It’s almost as if building temples comes through building tables.
The Quiet Power of Breaking Bread
We often highlight the miracles, the sermons, and the sold-out obedience in Acts but nestled in Acts 2 is a powerful key we easily skip:
“They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts… and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
— Acts 2:46-47
These early disciples weren’t just gathering in temple courts they were gathering in kitchens, around dinner tables, in living rooms. (This isn’t a holy mention to house churches which cannot and should not be the only expression of Church or kingdom). Rather,I think sometimes we’re drawn to the idea of worshipping in crowds but in fact their worship extended to welcoming individuals in their homes.
Does our worship reflect the same?
What happened in church was carried into their dwelling places and God moved through it.
A few days ago, we had someone over for dinner, someone who’s been quietly battling depression. We laughed, ate, talked honestly, prayed. As they left, they simply said, “Thank you for journeying with me. It’s really impacted me.”
My wife, Soph turned to me afterwards and said, “Never underestimate what God can do when you invite someone into your home.”
This is the message I want to convey, making time really is the first step to making disciples.
Discipleship Isn’t Complicated, but it is a Commitment.
We’ve made discipleship a curriculum when it’s just as much about a connection.
It’s not just about prayer meetings and preaching. It’s about coffee catch-ups, shared meals, spontaneous walks, hard conversations, and consistent presence. It’s about pulling potential out of someone who can’t yet see it in themselves.
We say we want revival but are we willing to break the cycle of our busy schedules?
I fear that at times our homes have become castles with proverbial moats around them- who shall dare enter? For others of us we simply don’t see ourselves as having anything worthwhile to impart.
Jesus’ model was clear: He came “eating and drinking.” The Book of Luke is practically a book of meals. Jesus is either heading to one, at one, or just leaving one. Just to give you a taste…
Luke 5 – Jesus eats with tax collectors.
Luke 7 – He dines with a Pharisee, and during the meal, His feet are anointed with oil.
Luke 9 – Jesus feeds the 5,000.
Luke 10 – He visits the home of Mary and Martha, where food is being prepared.
Luke 11 – He speaks to the Pharisees while at a meal.
Luke 14 – Jesus teaches on the Kingdom of God through the lens of hospitality—while eating.
Luke 19 – He invites Himself to Zacchaeus’ home: “I’m coming to your house today.”
Luke 22 – At the Last Supper, Jesus breaks bread and shares His final meal with the disciples.
Luke 24 – After the resurrection, He shares a meal on the road to Emmaus and later cooks breakfast for the disciples by the shoreline.
If Jesus used the table as a tool for transformation, why wouldn’t we?
I’ve pastored people who have become pastors themselves. Often asked how, Soph & I would often point back to the consistent, quiet investment of living intentionally. Of course, the overarching is the grace and sovereign plan of God- but surely if we don’t make a step (trust me I’ve seen it) we lean on a belief that is solely about the work of God (thank you Jesus for what you’ve done) but we completely irradicate the idea that we are somehow involved. One guy came to our church in pieces. We shared meals, talked through pain, walked and wept, asked tough questions, and dreamed together. We met almost weekly for over two years. Now? He moved from one continent to another and became a Pastor.
Some of it happened in a temple court. But most of it happened around a table.
This is about the kind of spiritual maturity that says, “I’m here for you, not just when it’s convenient, but when it counts.”
Hospitality is sharing who you are and what you have for the benefit someone else
1. Who We Eat With Reflects Our Mission
Who you choose to eat with reflects the heart of your ministry, values and dare I say- prejudices.
Are you only sharing meals with the familiar friends, family, and those like you? Or are you making space for the forgotten, the orphan, the struggling, the poor in spirit, the ones hungry for hope and guidance?
2. How Often We Eat With Others Reflects Our Priorities
How often you make time to eat with others speaks volumes about what you & I value.
Discipleship doesn’t begin with a program it begins with presence being a priority.
I’ll say it again, Making time is the first step to making disciples.
Wisdom to Digest:
Discipleship isn’t reserved for the few it’s the calling of all. And it often begins with something as simple as making time. Your presence is your ministry. Whilst Jesus died for people; He also dined with them.
Maybe today, the most spiritual thing you can do is open your door, cook a meal, and ask, “How are you really doing?”
Quick Question:
Who can you make time for this week? Who are you preparing a table for?