The Table isn’t a new restaurant; it’s one church’s expression of Jesus’ mission, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10 NIV). The primary way that they fulfill Jesus’ mission is by inviting anyone – regular attender, or first-time visitor – to a meal every other Sunday after the worship service. A church plant of Evermore Community Church, The Table launched in Uniontown, Ohio, in November 2022.
When Pastor Joey Nigro’s team launched The Table in 2022, they wanted “to follow Jesus’ lead in forming redemptive relationships with people who are far from God.” An important value at The Table is gathering around a table together after worship. Pastor Joey Nigro said, “Jesus used meals to build relationships. If new people show up on the Sunday we have a meal, there’s a chance that they will stay. It’s a great touch point.” Besides a meal every other week, the church comes to the communion table together, every week. Joey said, “People who have started coming to The Table say that they love that.” The church also started another important gathering around a meal last summer. They put on an old-fashioned, low-country boil, complete with Mississippi crawfish and invited the community.
In November 2022, they celebrated their one-year birthday by reflecting on the ways that God has answered prayer. Those prayers, written on post-it notes and placed around the church before they launched, recalled the needs of those early days. After the celebration, the church body stayed for pizza. Joey said, “In the world of church planting, every year you exist is a good one. If you can see growth, that’s what you really hope for, but there’s no blueprint for how much to grow in a year. We simply want to be faithful, preach the gospel, put in the work, and make new people feel welcome.”
