At Elkhart Northside Church of the Nazarene, a soccer field has become a place of prayer, community, and connection. Since 2018, Soccer Church has been creating a bilingual space where people gather around a shared love of the game and discover belonging along the way. Here’s a quick look at what it is, how it works, and why it matters. What It Is Soccer Church is a weekly gathering built around prayer, a short devotional, and the beautiful game. Every Monday evening from May through August, people of all ages come together on the soccer field for connection, encouragement, and play. How It Works The evening begins with prayer and a brief devotional before participants head onto the field. Families are welcome—whether they want to play soccer, cheer from the sidelines, or spend time together on the community playground. Everyone is invited, regardless of skill level or church background. Why It Matters For many people, a soccer field feels more familiar than a sanctuary. Soccer Church creates a space where relationships form naturally, faith conversations emerge organically, and community is built around a shared activity. It reminds us that church can happen wherever people gather to connect with one another and with God. This snapshot was developed through thoughtful research using publicly available sources, including websites, news articles, community updates and a brief conversation with the pioneer.

For decades, Newport Assembly of God faithfully served its community. Located in a rural Pennsylvania town of just 1,700 residents, the church developed significant outreach ministries over the years. Through the Bread of Life Outreach (BOLO), hundreds of families received food, household goods, and practical support each week. Yet even as the church was meeting tangible needs, Pastor Gary Bellis sensed something was missing. The congregation regularly prayed with people and shared the good news of Jesus, but there often wasn't enough time to build the kinds of relationships that help people take deeper steps in faith. As Gary puts it, "We were hitting it out of the park meeting the physical needs of people, but I felt we were lacking in identifying tangible spiritual fruit." At Newport Assembly they have a saying: "We are married to the mission but dating the strategy." So they began praying for a new strategy. A Table-Centered Vision When Gary read Verlon Fosner's Welcome to Dinner Church , he was captivated by the possibility of gathering people around tables rather than expecting them to enter more traditional church settings. The congregation spent time praying, planning, recruiting leaders, and imagining what this kind of community might look like in Newport. The Dinner Table launched in March 2019 with a simple goal: to create a place where people could share a meal, build relationships, and encounter Jesus. The team hoped to average fifty people a week by the end of the year. Instead, attendance reached an average of 123 people within the first three months. By March 2020, before pausing during the pandemic, attendance had grown to 158 people each week. Today, around 130 people gather weekly around tables to share a meal and participate in a community where relationships matter. No One Eats Alone While the meal may be what first brings people through the door, relationships are what keep people coming back. Every team member is encouraged to converse with, pray for, and befriend attendees. Their simple motto is, "No one eats alone." Before each gathering, volunteers meet to pray and remind themselves why they serve. The goal is not simply to provide food but to create a space where people can experience belonging and encounter the presence of Jesus around the table. Over time, those relationships have become fertile ground for discipleship. Gary recalls one attendee who carried significant wounds from life's setbacks and ongoing health challenges. For two years he faithfully showed up at The Dinner Table. Little by little, something began to change. Gary describes it this way: "He is now coming alive spiritually because Jesus is now alive in him." It wasn't the result of a program or a momentary decision. It happened organically because Jesus was consistently present at the table. The Fruit of the Table The spiritual impact has been significant. In a survey of attendees: 50 people reported accepting Christ or recommitting their lives to Him. 34 people began attending Sunday or midweek church gatherings. 44 people identified The Dinner Table as their primary spiritual or church experience. For Newport Assembly, dinner church became an answer to a prayer they had been praying for years. They weren't simply looking for another ministry program. They were longing to see lives transformed, relationships formed, and people growing as followers of Jesus. From One Dinner Church to Many What began in a small rural Pennsylvania town has influenced churches far beyond Newport. As pastors and ministry leaders heard stories of what was happening at The Dinner Table, interest in dinner church began to spread throughout the Pennsylvania-Delaware network of churches. One of the first leaders to visit was Pastor Jessica Albright. After seeing dinner church firsthand, her team launched a gathering in a local fire hall. Today, that dinner church welcomes around 120 people each week—far more than attend the congregation's Sunday morning service. The momentum has continued to grow. Newport's dinner church was the first in its network, but it didn't stay the only one for long. Today, eight dinner churches are meeting across the region, with many more in various stages of prayer, planning, and preparation. For Gary, the lesson is simple: "The gospel travels best on relational paths." Around a dinner table, people find friendship, belonging, purpose, and ultimately an opportunity to encounter Jesus. What started as a prayer for deeper spiritual fruit became a reminder that some of the most transformative ministry still happens the same way it did in the early church—around a table.