From the final report submitted by Shepherd’s Table

Can you tell us about your project?

Shepherd’s Table began with the dream of building a longer tableso that all people in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, might find a place to belong—especially our siblings who are 2SLGBTQIA+. We center ourselves around the promise that at Christ’s table, there are no exclusions. Throughout the lifespan of this grant project, approximately 820 people were served at dinner church. Approximately 14 people joined a queer-focused book club, and around 10 people have joined us for monthly “Tavern Talks” in order to build a queer-friendly community outside of dinner church gatherings. We had 24 people show up to a puzzle race event that we used as a “friend-raiser” to help get our name out in the community.

Shepherd’s Table humbly began with little resources, but through the Holy Spirit, people have been called to come together to share meals, hear God’s Word, and receive the sacraments. We have been able to show up as a visible witness of God’s love at Sioux Falls Pride events, including hosting and organizing an Ecumenical Pride Worship service that included a meal.

“Shepherd’s Table to me is a healing space because it is rekindling a once broken relationship with the church by providing a space of acceptance.” – Member of Shepherd’s Table

“Shepherd’s Table is a place as an LGBTQ+ individual where I know that I’ll be accepted and welcomed without question.” – Member of Shepherd’s Table

Tell us what you learned – or what advice you would have for others who might want to try something similar.

Creating partnerships was key because we could not do this work alone while we built this ministry from the ground up. We had an initial partner who came alongside us in the beginning to help us figure out menus, catering, and food options. We also wanted to ensure that dietary restrictions would not be a barrier for anyone who came to the table to eat. So, we made sure to create meals that were dietary-friendly including gluten-free and vegan options. Also, we found out that there were many people who were either in recovery or preferred no alcohol. This made us switch to grape juice for all as to not single out anyone who needed an alcohol-free option at communion.

Toward the end of 2025, we started to experiment with using church spaces to meet. It was important that the church space we used was in a place that had an outward focus on welcoming the LGBTQ2S+ community. We thought Friendsgiving would be the perfect option to try this. Lo and behold, this was our largest dinner church ever with 72 (yes, that’s a biblical number!) people showing up. We were glad we switched spaces because were already bursting at the seams at the Prism Community Center.