The savory aroma of roasted garlic lingers in the air as we anticipate the arrival of our Tuesday night dinner guests. A linen tablecloth, floral-patterned dishes and crystal stemware adorn the table. Two youngsters clambering up the stairs, wanting to know Whos coming for dinner tonight? break the serenity surrounding the table.

For the past two years, Tuesday night has been missions night in our home. We set aside one day a week to get to know the people who live in our subdivision as an act of kindness. We worked our way through the neighborhood, one neighbor at a time. Now it is part of our weekly schedule to look for those we barely know and invite them to dinner.

Jesus didnt say: You are the salt of the earth, now just sit on the shelf. No! Jesus wants us to be like salt in that we create a thirst in our nonbelieving neighbors and friends for more information about Him (see Matthew 5:13).

Hosting your neighbors
If you can follow a recipe, the next step to inviting people into your home is as easy as using P.E.P.P.E.R.

lan whom to invite. Where do you begin to find the people to invite for dinner? We didnt have to look far to see a harvest field in front of our window. In the beginning, we just wanted to get to know our neighbors. Meeting new people every week was fun, but soon we realized not one of them went to church. This was the beginning of our Tuesday night dinner ministry. Before that we would chat with our neighbors about the weather and the children, but we didnt really get to know them.

After we invited the neighbors up and down the street, we began on the other side of the road. Then we branched out and started inviting people we associate withthe bank teller, my husbands gym partner, mothers who walk their children to school, schoolteachers and anyone who would come for a free meal.

stablish the menu. A friend of mine invited a couple for dinner only to discover the entre of chicken breasts wrapped in bacon couldnt be served because her guests would not eat pork. When I invite someone to dinner, I always ask, Do you have any food allergies? Is there food that you dont care for?

The menu is always simple. We normally have meat, potatoes, vegetables and dessert. I never try new recipes on my guests. The key is friendship, not fabulous menus. By the way, coffee and dessert can work just as well, if youre not up for providing a full meal as your on mission outreach.

ray before the meal. In todays society this simple gesture of praying before our meal speaks volumes. We thank God before every meal for His provision for all our needs. We have never had anyone refuse to take part. But make sure your guests know before the meal that there will be a prayer. One of our guests was hungry and his fork was heading to his mouth when all of a sudden my husband explained that we pray before our meal. Our guest was embarrassed and so were we. To help avoid this awkwardness, my husband now explains before the food is brought to the table that we say a prayer of thanks to God. He often asks one of our children to pray. Kids know how to keep it simple. Our guests usually respond with Thats sweet! and the tension is gone.

repare a question that bridges the conversation from surface to spiritual. We were growing a tree, and we needed some help with it. We took it to the nursery and met Jenn. She was a horticulturist; over the course of time we invited Jenn and her boyfriend to come to dinner. He was a firefighter, so between trees and fires we had a lot to talk about. About 30 minutes into the meal, my husband very casually asked, So, do you go to church?

Well, no, was their response. We proceeded to talk about our church and encouraged them to come for a visit. The following week, they decided to come, and they both accepted the Lord.

We have found this question to be a nonthreatening way to move the conversation to spiritual matters. Depending on their answer you will know how to direct the conversation.

xplain the gospel. One way to do this is to explain the plan of salvation. Another way is to ask them to come to church with you or to a special Christian event. This part of the evening is exciting because this is where you become salt to them. Be preparedif there is something you dont have the answer to, let them know that honestly. Tell them you will find the answer and get back to them.

emember them. Pray for them and remember who they are. My memory is bad and I have a hard time recalling details, so I make some notes to remind me of specific things that were shared during the time together. Names of children or pets, special interests, place of employment or a special event in their lives can be noted for future reference. Our neighbors David and Patsy came over one evening and Patsy mentioned she was going into the hospital for surgery. I wrote down the date and determined that when she came home I would make a dinner and take it over to her.

Inviting your neighbors over to dinner is not the only way to connect with them. My husband will quite often mow a neighbors lawn. On windy trash days, I go out and collect the trash bins up and down the block and carry them up to the owners homes. My children and I love to bake goodies; we frequently share them with neighbors. I took a cold drink to one neighbor who was mowing the lawn and introduced myself. Its the little things that say a lot.

It only takes a few minutes to do something nice for someone and in the process demonstrate the love of Christ. So, the next time you are gathered around the dinner table and someone says, Please, pass the salt and pepper, remember, it is just that easy.

Elva-Jean Brown is a writer living in Ottawa, Ontario.