The Evolution of Our Weekly Dinners

At the start of the year, our weekly dinners at UC San Diego were held in an outdoor food court, offering free meals to attract international students. It was a lively atmosphere, with 45 to 50 students attending weekly, but while the environment was great for building connections, it was challenging to have any deep spiritual conversations. Students could easily eat and leave, often avoiding discussions about faith.

In the second quarter, we decided to change things up. We moved our dinners to a classroom setting, hoping to foster a space where more meaningful spiritual conversations could take place. The result was a sharp drop in attendance—going from 45 to 50 students down to about 15. At first, this felt discouraging. We wondered if we were doing something wrong, but soon realized the smaller group meant deeper engagement. The students who remained were genuinely interested in spiritual discussions, and the intimate setting allowed us to connect on a more personal level.

Despite the decrease in numbers, we recognized that this shift had actually strengthened our community. Special events like the Lunar New Year celebration continued to draw in larger crowds, showing that students were still aware of our events and eager to join when something particularly engaging was offered.

One of the most rewarding parts of the change was the opportunity to bring in speakers. Instead of just casual table discussions, we could now feature guest speakers to share their insights. Ukeme, a volunteer from Nigeria who had been an international student himself, became a regular speaker at our events. His personal story and wisdom added a rich layer of depth to our dinners, and students loved hearing from someone with such a unique perspective.

While we saw fewer students, the depth of the conversations and the relationships we were able to build made the transition feel incredibly rewarding. We’ve learned that it’s not just about the numbers—it’s about quality conversations and creating a space where students can truly engage with the gospel and with one another.