Why Dinner Church Is a Joy in Hispanic and Latino Communities

It smells so delicious here!

Hmmm.

What did you prepare that smells so rich?

“Ropa vieja,” rice with gandules, a barbecue, empanadas, farofa, mole poblano?

“You cooked your favorite dish. Did you throw garlic on this yucca?”

“Let’s see, let me taste it.”

I took a few steps, closed my eyes, and you don’t have to imagine anything. Just sitting at the table took me to the most intimate part of the home, to a beautiful relationship, and it was like opening the trunk of my memories.

Standing before this threshold of history, I remember my mother making us corn tortillas fresh out of the “comal.” She will put melting cheese to the end, licking your fingers. And the fascinating thing was that the boys who came to play ball with us enjoyed them too.

At the age of 9, Doña Alicia, owner of the corner store in the “El Paraíso” neighborhood, gave us “Semitas,” a thick, tasty bread with melted sugar inside.

Mrs. Alice would take the coin and lean over the counter with charming eyes, a tender smile, and with a pleading sound in her voice, she would say: “here is your coin back, and I will give you your change.” She handed me my “emergency coin” and another one “just in case your brother would want ‘semita’ also.” She would say.

As she pronounced those angelic words, to this day and with teary eyes, I think she was an absolute angel with feet of clay!

It is no secret that food, family, and community constitute anywhere, the backbone of Hispanic and Latino cultures; all three are gestures of love.

Abraham, Food and Family

Food is then the cornerstone and the epicenter of the family, the attention to gatherings and anecdotes of the grandparents, and the aroma and flavor, expressions of our culture, providing generational ties.

Perhaps your great-grandmother used to make a stew in this way. And so, the recipes crossed seas and borders orally and manually. Even this culinary family offered spaces with a sense of belonging, purpose, and direction in life.

Out of our hearts then emerges a principle that all shared food is a blessed table good.

Let’s see how this principle of why the celebration of dinner church an extravagant joy is. Come, sit at the table, grab a cup of coffee and a couple of cookies!

An elderly couple wanted to have a child, one of the promises! But nothing had happened. Sarah had passed the age to give birth, and even though they were octogenarians, they were about to discover God’s blessing around a meal (Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-7).

And so, it happened. Abraham, her husband, runs to receive the guests (heavenly visitors), hurries to prepare an exquisite meal; they ate and enjoyed intimate communion.

Right there, Sara was listening behind the curtains of the tent. She heard the message: “God will visit you and give you a son.” She laughed. And it was no wonder. At her age, pregnant? But it happened indeed (Genesis 21:1-7). She conceived and gave birth to a beautiful son, Isaac.

I don’t know what your reaction would have been. But when God gives a promise, He never takes long to fulfill it because there is nothing impossible for Him. In this story, we perceive that happiness in that perfect union between table and blessing.

Both form the heart of gratitude in ancient cultures like Israel.

Table and blessing are two keywords in the Old Testament that show the importance of the table, and then the blessing when eating at it: Shulhan (Table) y Shalaj (send—blessing).

שולחן Shuljan = SH – L – J – N = Table
שליח Shalaj = SH – L – J = Send—blessing

That environment was and still is profound hospitality. It opens doors to create authentic communities, saying to each person that their lives are as significant to us as to God.

In Psalm 23, the most favored psalm of generations, the same thing happens. God prepares a table before you in the presence of your enemies, anoints your head with oil, and fills your cup to the point of overflowing.

He is your host, extending you an invitation to His table of abundance and joy. Naturally, here he blesses you (Shalaj) with goodness (Hemet), and mercy (Hesed) will follow you every day of our lives.

Where Church is Born

The silence of four centuries erupts in excitement, and Jesus Christ inaugurates a new era with intimate and profound implications. Now, God is present! He converses, laughs, cries, and invites us all to celebrate and remember his life, teachings, and miracles around His table (Luke 15:2; 22:15-20).

There, between surprises and scares, the church is born around a table!

Every moment of being together was a good time to break bread, eat together with unwavering joy. Love anchored so profound that they shared with everyone according to their needs, so much so that no one had a shortage (Acts 2:42-47).

Immediately, the apostle Paul encourages us to wait for everyone to come to the table and celebrate the meal with deep gratitude. And why not if the blessing of this meal extends all the ways towards the heavens, anticipating the biggest banquet celebration of the lamb’s wedding.

God understands the language of fellowship, joy, and festivity that food, family, and community offer. For this reason, he invites us to experience his delight amid our Hispanic-Latino communities.

The last time I saw Mrs. Alicia, it was in my dreams in another city.

I could feel his hugs, the kiss on my cheek, and saying to me with a smile, “Eliseo, now it’s your turn, serve yourself like a piece of bread for hungry people to eat, and give as generously as I have given you.”

I never saw it again, but somewhere in my wallet, I have a hidden coin, in my mind a delicious “Semita,” and in my heart the genuine desire to invite you to the table.

The food is served and warm! Come here! And celebrate with me.

Come here! Sit at the table, Jesus Christ is with you, and I invite you to celebrate with me because shared food is a blessed table good.

Rev. Dr. Eliseo A. Mejia is a pastor, missiologist, and church-planting leader with nearly three decades of experience launching new faith communities across cultures and countries. An ordained elder in the Kentucky Annual Conference, he currently serves as senior pastor of Paris First UMC and formerly led Mosaic UMC, a vibrant multicultural congregation in Louisville. He has also served as Associate Director of Hispanic, multiethnic, and international church planting for the Kentucky Conference. Passionate about equipping leaders and reaching new people for Christ, Dr. Mejia now serves as Director of Expresiones Divinas with Fresh Expressions.

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Treasures in Every Stream: How the Whole Church Finds Itself in the Fresh Expressions Movement

By Shannon Kiser • November 3, 2025

When Fresh Expressions in North America began more than a decade ago, people often tried to claim it for their own tribe. “This is an Anglican thing,” some said. A few years later, when Baptist churches and denominations began to join in, others concluded, “It’s for Baptists.” As the movement continued to grow, we began to hear, “Is this a Methodist thing?” Over the years, it’s become clear: Fresh Expressions isn’t owned by any one tradition—it’s enriched by all of them. Each ecclesial stream carries a treasure—something deeply rooted in its history, theology, and charism—that connects beautifully with the heartbeat of the Fresh Expressions movement. Fresh Expressions is not a new denominational brand, nor a replacement for existing congregations. It’s a movement of the Spirit calling the church back to its missionary identity—to join Jesus in the places we live, work, learn, and play. In every stream, from high church liturgy to grassroots revival, we find echoes of that same calling: the desire to be a church for the sake of others. Anglican Roots and the Gift of Mission-Shaped Church The earliest Fresh Expressions took shape in the Church of England, where leaders began noticing new forms of Christian community emerging on the edges, and began to not only make room for but encourage the church to move beyond her walls and plant the gospel in new soil. Anglicans remind us that mission is not an add-on to the church’s life; it is the church’s life. Their deep sense of sacrament and structure grounds the movement in continuity with the historic faith while sending it into the neighborhoods and networks of our day. The Baptist Gift of Evangelistic Passion Baptists quickly resonated with Fresh Expressions because of their long tradition of evangelism, discipleship, and congregational initiative. In many ways, Baptists embody the pioneering heart of the movement—equipping ordinary people to share the good news and start new communities where people are. Their gift reminds the wider church that every believer is a missionary and that the gospel travels best along relational lines of trust and care. Wesleyan Fire and the Holiness of Love From the Wesleyan and Methodist stream comes a fire that still burns for renewal. John Wesley’s early movement met people in fields, prisons, and workplaces—long before the term “missional church” existed. Fresh Expressions echoes that same impulse: to go where people are, practice a holiness that looks like love in action, and cultivate communities steeped in the grace of God that Wesley preached is already at work in the world before we are aware. The Wesleyan treasure is a faith both warm-hearted and socially engaged—a reminder that evangelism and justice belong together. Presbyterian Thoughtfulness and Connectional Strength Presbyterians bring a rich heritage of theological reflection and connectional leadership. Their gift lies in helping Fresh Expressions find both depth and sustainability. Through discernment, shared governance, and a commitment to equipping leaders, Presbyterians help the movement stay rooted while empowering innovation at every level. They remind us that imagination flourishes best within accountable, prayerful community. The Lutheran Treasure of Grace and Vocation Lutherans offer the gift of a grace-filled gospel and a deep theology of vocation. They remind us that the whole of life—our work, relationships, and communities—can be holy ground for ministry. In the Fresh Expressions movement, that conviction takes visible form: church can happen wherever God’s people live out their faith in ordinary places. Lutherans help us remember that our identity and mission flow not from our performance, but from God’s unmerited grace. The Catholic Gift of Sacrament and Incarnational Presence The Catholic tradition contributes a rich sense of sacrament—that God’s presence saturates the world and can be encountered in bread, wine, water, and neighbor. Catholic communities have long modeled incarnational mission through schools, hospitals, and neighborhood parishes. Fresh Expressions builds on that legacy, sending the church into the public square to embody Christ’s love in tangible, everyday ways. The Orthodox Treasure of Mystery and Transformation From the Orthodox stream comes a treasure of mystery, beauty, and transformation. In a world hungry for depth, the Orthodox vision of worship as participation in God’s divine life reminds the movement that mission begins in awe and ends in love. Their practices of prayer, fasting, and hospitality offer rhythms that sustain missional communities over the long haul. The Evangelical Gift of Passionate Witness Evangelical and Free Church traditions contribute a deep love for Scripture and a passion for sharing the good news of Jesus. Their emphasis on relational evangelism and personal transformation resonates deeply with the Fresh Expressions vision. They remind the whole church that new communities are born when ordinary people share faith naturally in the flow of life. Charismatic and Pentecostal Energy The Charismatic and Pentecostal streams bring a vital awareness of the Spirit’s power and presence. Their treasure is a living expectancy—that God is still speaking, healing, and sending the church into the world today. Fresh Expressions draws energy from that openness to the Spirit, recognizing that mission is not just a strategy but a movement of God’s grace breaking into everyday life. The Anabaptist Witness of Everyday Discipleship The Anabaptist tradition contributes the gift of community and simplicity. Their long-held vision of the church as a countercultural people—embodying peace, justice, and radical discipleship—resonates deeply with the Fresh Expressions vision. They remind us that the gospel is not only proclaimed but lived out in small, shared, everyday acts of love. The Restorationist Desire for Unity and Simplicity Restorationist and Holiness movements bring a longing for simplicity and unity—to be the church that reflects the heart of Jesus rather than the boundaries of denominations. Their treasure lies in a humble return to the essentials: Scripture, discipleship, and community. Fresh Expressions echoes that vision, calling all streams of the church to join together in God’s mission with open hands and open hearts. A Shared Mission, A Richer Church Each of these treasures—sacrament and structure, evangelism and discipleship, renewal and justice, grace and vocation, mystery and transformation, Spirit and simplicity—adds depth to the mosaic of Fresh Expressions. Together, they reveal that this movement isn’t a departure from our traditions but a rediscovery of their truest gifts. As we continue to explore the “ecclesially flexible” nature of Fresh Expressions, we hope every denomination, network, and congregation will see themselves in this movement. The Spirit is stirring across traditions, calling us not to abandon our histories but to live them more fully—for the sake of those who have yet to experience the love of Christ. Over the next season, we will be highlighting leaders from some of these traditions as they reflect upon the ways their distinct tradition aligns with the heart and the vision of Fresh Expressions. We hope this series encourages you to look more closely at the Fresh Expressions approach to mission and discover how it can help you live out your history and calling in your local context and congregation. And we trust that when the treasures of each stream flow together, the whole church becomes more activated, more creative, and more faithful in joining God’s mission in the world.