Breaking Bread Together
Written by Sarah Allen
A westside dinner with members from Blessed Sacrament Catholic Parish, Geneva Campus Church, Westwood Christian Church, Christ Church Madison, Blackhawk, & Faith Community Bible Church.
This was my husband Jonathan and I's first KJS since having kids, and we were both excited to attend the conference and the dinner. When we were asked to host one of the dinners we decided it would be a great opportunity.
We did not know anyone on our list beforehand and most of them had never met each other either. Only two of our guests had met briefly once or twice at Christian events in the past. But as people trickled in and conversation started flowing people started to realize all sorts of cool connections…
Someone had worked with one of someone's best friends.
A young single man lived next door to fellow church goers of another couple and also grew up in a California suburb close to where they were from.
One worked for the government and provided mental health services for immigrants who have been detained and another worked for World Relief.
Jonathan and I found we knew people in common with many of the attendees. Everyone was very open and as everyone had a chance to share, it was easy to feel very connected.
After the meal people stuck around to chat and even clean up, and we actually had to kick people out so we could go to bed! Many phone numbers were exchanged and plans were made to get together and connect further.
Additionally, at the conference we got to say hi to each other and at times sit with people from dinner. Jonathan and I knew we would likely know some people at the summit this year but we hadn't made plans to meet up with anyone, so it was nice to have built that connection with people before hand for the conference itself.
A northside dinner with members from Faith Community Bible Church, City Church, & Blackhawk Church Downtown.
A Monona dinner with members from St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, Life Center Madison, Geneva Campus Church, & Orchard Church.
Kingdom Justice Summit in-home dinners are just one expression of the value of gathering around tables based on proximity to build trusting relationships and understanding of our context. The other main way we do this is through Neighborhood Network Community Dinners! Unlike the KJS dinners, these are hosted as large group gatherings within the neighborhood and feature a community guest speaker as a part of the program.
West High School Area Community Dinner
Monday, April 27th, 2026 from 5:30-7pm at Covenant Presbyterian Church: 326 S Segoe Rd Madison, WI 53705
La Follette and Monona Grove Area Community Dinner
Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 from 5:30-7pm at La Follette High School: 702 Pflaum Rd Madison, WI 53716
East HS Area Community Dinner
Thursday, April 30th, 2026 from 5:30-7pm at Trinity Lutheran Church: 1904 Winnebago Street. Madison, WI 53704