No, the above title is not a typo; there really is a such thing as a dinner church. Our congregation has two; other churches across the globe have adopted the dinner church model. Popular in large cities, dinner churches blend together two of the best things about churches - food and fellowship - and combine them into one event with a worship service. Worship services in the dinner church context are not the same as most worship services. They are typically more conversation focused and less about formal liturgies. Most take their modeling from the early church, where Christians would gather in homes to share a meal and read scripture together. Modern dinner churches take place in a variety of locations, including church buildings, restaurants, and houses.
I attend the one we have on Wednesdays. My son loves it. He gets to eat with his friends and play afterwards. Most of the kids run around and have fun before and after dinner. We have a 10-15 minute devotion and prayer time. While I love worshipping in the more traditional manner, it is so beautiful to see people of all ages and walks of life gathering together. Intergenerational blending, good conversation, prayer, and both spiritual and physical nourishment are what I believe church should be about. It is lovely.