Todd’s Table

How I Got My Chair

I’ve been sitting at Todd’s table most Thursday mornings for almost a year. I was invited by a friend who’d been at the table a while before I showed up. 

During my first visit I sat silently listening, and absorbing the atmosphere of faith, friendship and genuine holy-anticipation. Most of the guys were regulars at the table, some had been involved for years. Most are veteran believers, they are all seekers and God-lovers. My kind of people.

On my first visit, after a few hours, the table guests thinned out and I moved closer to the leaders so I could see their faces and listen to the ongoing conversation. Then Todd said, “Mark, tell us about yourself.” I hadn’t said a word until he asked me, now it was time to tell my short-story. And I did. 

They listened, they questioned, they commented, we prayed; then they welcomed me to the table.  Literally, they said, “you are welcome to sit and share at our table.” 

My Vision For Our Table

1. To deliberately transition from becoming elderly believers to being true elders. 1 Peter 5
2. To establish a format for discerning, defining and doing what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Rev. 2:29
3. To individually and collectively become eternally rewardable* and exceptionally useful. Eph. 4:1 

That’s all I have to say about that, for now.

Mark Allen Schmidt

*Rewardability; my term for the things in life that we do here, in faith, that will continue there. (In eternity) Rev. 22:12  2 Cor. 5:10  Mat. 10:42