Devin Strong

Spirit of Peace Lutheran

Before Covid, Spirit of Peace did not have enough small children to host a Sunday School, but we had a couple, so the leaders tried an experiment in intergenerational learning that they called Faith Builders. They met on Wednesday nights for a meal, some Bible learning, and some family games 

The idea was for the whole church to eat, learn, and play together. Faith Builders was a big hit! Unfortunately, when I arrived as the new pastor in March of 2020, Covid was just taking off, and it was not safe for us to gather in close proximity to one another for over a year, but as soon as we could, we relaunched Faith Builders, using pretty much the same format, and it has been one of the highlights of our church’s ministry ever since.

We meet at 6 PM every Wednesday night during the school year, except when school is on recess, for a homemade meal. We have some guided conversation during dinner about both fun and serious topics. Then I do some brief teaching on the upcoming scripture readings for Sunday, and we either go deeper into adult-oriented conversation about the text, or we all play some kid-oriented group games. We end with prayer, and the whole thing wraps up by 7:15 PM, so that the little ones can get to bed and the older ones can start on homework. The best part is that there is no fixed cost.

Families give what they can in a free-will offering, just to cover the cost of the food.

My wife Chris says that Faith Builders is consistently one of her favorite parts of the week, and I agree! Most weeks Chris is the one to prepare the meal. She likes to stand in the background and listen to the kids laughing and the adults sharing stories from their week. This is holy time.

It might be easier for folks to stay home and just make their own dinners. On the other hand, it’s pretty great to have someone else serve you dinner and then do the clean up as a group. More than that, Faith Builders is a midweek gift for our congregation. It is so much fun to have a relaxed, casual dinner with your church family. We get to break bread together and catch up with one another in the midst of ordinary life.

I always enjoy preaching and teaching, but it’s even more fun at Faith Builders because it’s more free flowing than a Sunday morning.

People get to ask questions and engage in a way that traditional sermons don’t always allow for. Even the kids chime in with their thoughts. And what could be better than running around and being silly with your sisters and brothers in Christ?

Faith Builders is always open to the public and tailor-made to bring your friends, family, and neighbors because you don’t have to be an expert in the Bible.

You don’t even have to like church to join in. All you need is an appetite and a spirit of adventure. We get to meet Jesus in the faces of each other every Wednesday night, and Faith Builders will be even richer if you decide to come this Wednesday.