{"id":45372,"date":"2025-03-18T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifesworld.org\/?post_type=prayerline&#038;p=45372"},"modified":"2025-03-18T10:22:06","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T10:22:06","slug":"dining-with-jesus","status":"publish","type":"prayerline","link":"https:\/\/ifesworld.org\/en\/prayerline\/dining-with-jesus\/","title":{"rendered":"Dining with Jesus"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block block-core-html\">\n<iframe title=\"Dining with Jesus\" allowtransparency=\"true\" height=\"150\" width=\"100%\" style=\"border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;\" scrolling=\"no\" data-name=\"pb-iframe-player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podbean.com\/player-v2\/?i=zy6bb-18495a4-pb&#038;from=pb6admin&#038;share=1&#038;download=1&#038;rtl=0&#038;fonts=Arial&#038;skin=2baf9e&#038;font-color=000000&#038;logo_link=episode_page&#038;btn-skin=654771\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Initiating conversations about faith can feel daunting and awkward, particularly in secular societies. But Christian Union (CU) students at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, have found a natural way to introduce the gospel. They invite others to dinner, to hang out \u2013 and to meet Jesus.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cIt\u2019s made it so easy to expose my friends to God and his love,\u201d says <\/em>second-year student Robyn.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-heading wp-elements-25a4830e0122b08d862b992077b21019\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-south-pacific-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-25a4830e0122b08d862b992077b21019\"><strong>Free Food, No Pressure<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A couple of years ago, the CU, part of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tscf.org.nz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TSCF, the IFES movement in New Zealand<\/a>, recognised the difficulty of inviting peers to weekly Bible studies \u2013 especially because the group had been meeting in student houses or TSCF staff homes since the 2011 earthquake and COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, they booked a communal space on campus for every Wednesday evening, cooked a simple meal, gathered to eat it, and then spent time in Scripture. They invited friends, contacts, and anyone who was still studying in the space when the meal was served. At one point last year, around 70 students were attending.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trinity shares how simple and effective it\u2019s been:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cI just invite people to get a free meal, to relax, and chat with some really friendly people. I tell them that after the meal there will be a Bible study but that there\u2019s<\/em><em> <\/em><em>no pressure to stay. It gets people through the door<\/em><em> \u2013 <\/em><em>which isn\u2019t<\/em><em> <\/em><em>easy when some think that Christianity is distasteful<\/em><em>! <\/em><em>Then<\/em><em>,<\/em><em> I let God and time do the rest.<\/em><em>\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-heading wp-elements-421de73128350ed58bd518e6a5def87a\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-south-pacific-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-421de73128350ed58bd518e6a5def87a\"><strong>A Taste of Jesus<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Non-Christians are often surprised by the generosity. (Each CU small group takes a turn to sacrificially serve by buying and cooking the food.) Positive conversations arise over dinner, and, after a few weeks, many newcomers decide to stay on and learn about Jesus in the Gospels.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some have already responded in faith \u2013 last year, a friend that Robyn had invited became a Christian. Others are still considering. Yet all have appreciated the friendship and the space to find out about Christ. Three interested master\u2019s students from China have now graduated but remain in touch with the group.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On campus, a new academic year has just begun. Out of the 35-40 people who\u2019ve come to the first meals and studies, about a quarter are not yet Christians. Clearly, this offer of hospitality and friendship has revolutionized the CU\u2019s outreach. One of the leaders explains its success:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201c<\/em><em>Students are often a bit afraid of \u2018doing evangelism\u2019 on campus, but we encourage them to see that helping people meet Jesus isn\u2019t scary, especially when we can do it together and just be ourselves.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-heading wp-elements-67cf239a337fe8f89c86f4af6a92f63f\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-south-pacific-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-67cf239a337fe8f89c86f4af6a92f63f\"><strong>Pray<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-list\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"wp-block block-core-list-item\">\n<li>Praise God for the way this approach has energised Christian students in their witness and introduced non-Christians to Christ. Pray that CUs across TSCF New Zealand will be innovative and courageous in their outreach.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-list\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"wp-block block-core-list-item\">\n<li>This year, the Canterbury CU has been given a meeting space that\u2019s less central on campus. Pray that this will not deter newcomers and that the group will continue to grow.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-list\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"wp-block block-core-list-item\">\n<li>This semester\u2019s meals will be followed by a series called <em>Encountering Jesus<\/em>, covering topics like \u2018What\u2019s our greatest need?\u2019, \u2018Does Jesus love everyone?\u2019, and \u2018What does Jesus want from us?\u2019. Pray that the 8-10 interested students will indeed encounter Jesus and \u201ctaste and see that the Lord is good\u201d.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"featured_media":45373,"template":"","area":[685,464],"theme":[],"class_list":["post-45372","prayerline","type-prayerline","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","area-new-zealand","area-south-pacific"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dining with Jesus &#183; IFES Prayerline<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Initiating conversations about faith can feel daunting and awkward, particularly in secular societies. 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