James Home Kitchen

1st Night of Come to the Table! ❤️

I have to admit, I was a little nervous about our first night. I even took the day off from work to get everything ready. The night before, several of our ministry friends came to help move tables and chairs and prepare for the dinner.

Our menu was bone-in pork chops, asparagus, my famous potatoes 😋, and of course, everyone’s favorites—James Signature chicken wings and my wife’s famous Crab Rangoon!

We had about 30–35 people come that night. I think some people are probably still watching and wondering what this Come to the Table thing is all about 😂. But I was very happy with the turnout.

To me, numbers are never the most important thing. Faith is.

I believe Come to the Table gives us a different way to reach people who may not have a church or different faith background. Maybe even more importantly, it gives us a chance to reconnect with people who once had faith but, for whatever reason, have drifted away from church.

In Taiwan, there’s something about food that naturally brings people together. We sit around the same table, eat, talk, laugh, and get to know each other. No pressure. Just people spending time together, hopefully experiencing a little of the love and warmth of God’s family. ❤️

This ministry has also reminded me of something very important: the church is not the building……the church is God’s people.

Because of work and other responsibilities, I haven’t been able to attend church regularly. So what does God do? He brings brothers, sisters, and friends to my restaurant instead! 😂

We may gather in a church building, in someone’s home, or around a table in a little restaurant. The place is not what makes us the church. When God’s people come together in Christ, love one another, encourage one another, and welcome those who are searching, that is what the church is really about.

Maybe that’s one of the special blessings of Come to the Table for me: sometimes we go to church, and sometimes God brings the church to us. 🙏❤️

Now I do have one confession 😂. The bone-in pork chops were a little drier than I wanted. Apparently nobody wanted to hurt the cook’s feelings because nobody complained! 🤣 Don’t worry, I learned my lesson. Next Thursday should be better!

Thank you to everyone who came and to everyone who helped make our first night possible. And please don’t feel any pressure about coming. Just come, enjoy some food, meet some people, talk, laugh, and enjoy the evening with us.

To give is a blessing, and to receive is also a blessing. Both are God’s grace.

See you next Thursday! 🤗❤️🙏

Your Chef, James