Church Anywhere: How Everyday Believers in Rome Met for Church in McDonalds

A church at a McDonald’s restaurant? Yes, that’s right. God can use the most random and unexpected places for people to gather and learn more about Him, for discipleship to happen. 

Tomas, an Italian American student in Rome, is a very new believer, having accepted Christ just a year ago. While going through a rough time in his life, his friend Elia introduced him to Jesus and Tomas quickly turned his life to Christ. 

At a youth conference, Francesca, a Jesus Revolution student, met Tomas and saw him go up for the altar call. Tomas was fired up for Jesus, desiring to know more about God and attend church. 

Tomas was an answer to Pastor Eduardo’s prayer about finding a place in the city to find people of peace to share the gospel with. Francesca was at this Jesus Revolution training and thought about Thomas having several friends in Ostia. Eduardo approached Tomas about evangelising, but was scared to do so. “If you found Jesus because your friend speak with you about Jesus, you can do the same. It’s simple,” Eduardo encouraged. 

Since many young adults would not come to church, they decided to make McDonald’s their church. Now Tomas and Francesca meet weekly with several of Tomas’ friends at a McDonald’s for prayer, reading the Bible, and learning about God while munching on French fries.  

Tomas realized that he, too, can share the gospel and reach others for Christ in this simple, but valuable way. 

Eduardo believes, “This kind of meeting in McDonald’s is a church. So, we can be church everywhere, because we are the church.”