The time factor:  As part of a family there should be multiple aspects of our lives that are understood/intertwined. Our time together should not just have situations of learning and teaching, but of everyday basic conversation, friendship and camaraderie.  These things require us to invest time in one another. In the busyness of all of our lives today we often fail to spend that time together. Our weekly meal does create a small time slot to help this need. 

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Fellowship/conversation opportunities:  There is a difference between when we talk to someone with the “intentionality” of trying to have a conversation and simply having natural conversation sitting around a meal. 
Illustration: When I am talking to someone sitting on the other side of a desk from me vs when I am talking to someone driving down the road in a seat next to me, In general it facilitates a much different conversation.

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Serving one another:  We in general as a group have a strong desire to serve and help others/one another. When we can create opportunities to facilitate doing this in real life, it is a blessing to both those who serve and those who are being served. We see this fellowship meal as one of these opportunities.  From preparing the food, to clean up and even being able to send meals home for older members of our fellowship/community or those who may need an extra meal through the week.

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The meal itself:  This can even just be an evangelistic type of outreach tool. There have been and still will be those that come to sit with us just to have the meal…  There have been those who are just in the area who know we are serving ‘free lunch’ who may stop by. There are those who used to be part of our fellowship, but are still part of our eternal family that decide to stop by and visit us, and sometimes it is just during the meal.