The Dawn Treader

Every now and then, I will have someone respond to a Pigfest invitation with "that is not my thing" ... or "not my cup of tea" ... or something similar.

It is true that Pigfests are not for everyone ... but probably not for the reasons you think.

People often perceive of a Pigfest as a type of Lincoln-Douglas debate plus food.  They picture a bunch of intense thinker-debater types gathering for some kind of competition.  This is a misconception.  While Pigfests do have structure, they are far more conversational in nature.  There is friendly discussion before, during and after the event.  There are folks at the Pigfest who are not talkers ... and that is ok.  You want them there.

Quiet but gracious and friendly people help the Pigfest be a more social and civil event than it would be otherwise.  I shudder to think what it would be like if just the debate team showed up.  Yikes.  You need to have hospitable people at the table.  They make newcomers feel welcome.  They help soften the atmosphere.  They have a role to play -- and an important one.  A good Pigfest is as much about hospitality and community as it is about discussion.

I make it safe for quiet folks to come by letting them know I won't call on them unless they want to be called on.  I give them permission to sit and listen.  That usually helps them get acclimated ... and sometimes, they end up entering the conversation naturally anyway.

So what people do I consider not suitable for a Pigfest?

1. Rude people.
2. People who flat out have zero social skills.
3. People who talk way too much.
4. People who are simply looking for intellectual stimulation and nothing else (this is hard to discern).
5. Angry people.
6. Apathetic people.
7. People who are terrified of being in a small group setting even as a non-participant.
8. People who have no interest in reaching out beyond the Christian subculture.

This brings me to my next topic.  Open invitations.

The Greensboro - Stokesdale Pigfest is conducted by open invitation.  A monthly email is shot out to probably 50 or more people and there is an open door policy for people to bring a friend along.

I would love to be so bold.

However, I don't have the house or setup that can handle an overflow crowd.  My fear is having 50 people show up and I have seats for 20.  If you have bench seating or a way for people to sit on the floor or something, go for it.

I plan on inviting people personally for a while and then if I can maintain some consistency, we will shift over to an open invitation approach.  I do have people RSVP to the event at this point.  I like to know who is coming and how much food to prepare.

Also, people need to be personally invited to a Pigfest in the beginning.  Most won't come as a result of an email invitation.  They need to be personally invited over the phone.  Once a regular group begins to show up, then a simple monthly email is probably enough to get a good group out to the Pigfest.

Several here in Roanoke have suggested we begin Pigfesting at a new Irish pub that opened up right near our church.  I have to admit, that sounds very exciting.

What would really be ideal is to eventually get to the point where every fourth Friday of the month at the pub is Pigfest night.  I wouldn't even have to send out emails.  It would just be tradition.  Don't laugh.  It could happen.