Key points:
- Black River Falls United Methodist Church in rural Wisconsin embraces community outreach by serving meals, building relationships and redefining what it means to be church.
- The idea of Dinner Church took shape after the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Rev. Inhwa Son saw a growing disconnect between the church and its surrounding community.
- Now, more than 200 meals are prepared weekly, and a section of the church parking lot has been transformed into a community garden.
On March 18, the congregation of Black River Falls United Methodist Church celebrated the second anniversary of its “Dinner Church,” a ministry that has quietly grown into a vital expression of hospitality, community and faith in this small western Wisconsin town.
More than 200 meals move steadily out the church doors. Some are enjoyed at tables filled with laughter; many more are carried into homes, cars and the quiet corners of the community.
What began as a simple meal among church members has become a place where strangers become friends and a small congregation reimagines its mission.
The idea of Dinner Church took shape after the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Rev. Inhwa Son saw a growing disconnect between the church and its surrounding community.
“People were not coming back,” Son said. “We had to ask ourselves, ‘How can we reconnect with the community?’”
Through leadership training and exposure to the Fresh Expressions movement, Son and lay leaders discovered the concept of dinner church — a form of ministry centered on shared meals, conversation and spiritual reflection. The congregation had already been serving evening meals internally, but the shift to Dinner Church was an intentional choice to “open the table.”
Charlene Galston, chair of the church’s Mission Outreach Committee, said the church’s original evening meal “was only for people within our church family. It didn’t have an outward reach.”
That changed.
Black River Falls, a town of just over 3,500 people, may appear quiet, but the needs are real.
“There are more than 10 people experiencing homelessness even in this small town,” said Esther Son, who oversees much of the ministry’s logistics.
The church responded not only with food but also with presence. Meals are served nearly 50 weeks out of the year. More than 200 meals are prepared weekly, available to eat in or take home — no questions asked.
Esther Son said the meals are intentionally abundant.
“This isn’t ‘soup kitchen’ food. It’s a full meal: vegetables, fruit, hot dishes and dessert. We serve until the food runs out,” she said.
The ministry quickly became more than a feeding program. Volunteers and guests sit at the same tables; there is no separation.
“We tried hard not to separate staff from guests,” Galston said. “We eat together. We talk with everybody.”
As barriers fall, lives begin to change. For example, a man experiencing homelessness found housing through connections made at the church. Another received a haircut that helped him secure a job. A bicycle repair provided one guest with essential transportation and independence.
Even those who come for food have begun serving others.
“One young man comes after work, eats and then takes meals to deliver to others,” said Roxy Hostrawser, who leads weekly devotions. “They receive and they give.”
Another ministry has taken root at the corner of the church parking lot: The congregation transformed an unused section of the pavement into vegetable beds. Church member Joe Williams leads this neighborhood garden, which produced more than 1,000 pounds of vegetables last year.
“The goal is to get neighbors involved,” he said. “They help grow the vegetables, and then they can take them for free.”
The garden has become a place to teach families how to grow their own food. It also supplies fresh produce to the dinner church and food pantry, and serves as a partner to the local Boys and Girls Club.
The beginning of the ministry was not without challenges. Initially, there were concerns about safety, change and welcoming unfamiliar faces. The church adapted by receiving training on how to listen — not to “fix,” but to understand.
“Once you’ve shared a meal, the barrier disappears,” one volunteer said.
Guests are not labeled; they are simply called “friends.”
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For Rev. Son, the experience — which he calls “a heavenly banquet” — carries deep theological weight.
“When we eat with those who cannot repay us, we experience the kingdom of God on Earth,” he said. He describes the church’s role as “standing in the gap” between God’s vision and present reality, closing that gap through acts of love.
The impact is visible beyond the building. When the ministry first began, social media posts received little attention; now, dozens respond each week with encouragement.
“It’s changing how people see the church,” Son said. “It breaks down barriers.”
For a small-town church once concerned about decline, the transformation is clear.
“We’re getting people into church every Wednesday,” Hostrawser said. “They’re coming.”
Marcia Hagen of the mission outreach team echoed that sentiment.
“They truly become part of our church family, even if they do not attend Sunday worship,” she said. “Our largest congregation gathers on Wednesday evenings.”
Kim is director of Korean and Asian news at United Methodist Communications. Contact him at 615-742-5470 or newsdesk@umnews.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
