#45 - Can 'Wednesday Waffles' be my 'Sunday Service'?
Growing up, religion felt like a single-player game—at least the way my family played it. We went to mosque on Fridays. We stayed away from pork. Sometimes, we fasted during Ramadan. That was pretty much it.
Last week, our co-founder David got married. He and his wife are practicing Christians, and throughout their traditional Nigerian wedding, church ceremony, and reception, God was joyfully celebrated and gratefully acknowledged throughout. Watching their faith unite their relationship, families, and community of friends in Toronto was genuinely beautiful.
After the wedding, some of our close friends stumbled back to my place, tipsy and still in suits and dresses. We talked late into the night about God and religion. By 3 am, we resolved to attend Sunday Service at David's church the next day.
Hungover, tired, and barely on time, we actually followed through.
It was an amazing experience.
Upon arrival, there was free coffee and friendly mingling outside the church. On our way in, David's pastor recognized me from the wedding, pulled me aside, and offered to chat about my Dad's passing if ever I needed it. Inside, the church felt like a concert—the band played for half the service while pastors preached.
When they invited people to come forward for individual prayer support, I found myself lining up. I paired with a young volunteer named Ivan, who offered a touching prayer for my Dad. Even for someone who didn't know the words to the songs or how to pray, I felt welcomed and comfortable.
Throughout the service, we were gently prompted to engage with strangers—nothing intimidating, just simple things like "give seven people around you a high five" or "ask someone new about what they did this weekend."
At the end, newcomers were encouraged to meet outside, ask questions, and learn more. It felt exactly like a community. If I were religious, the first thing I'd do moving to a new city is find a church like this.
The service was perfectly crafted for building and maintaining strong community bonds:
It was genuinely fun. Whether you were greeting guests, serving coffee, playing in the band, or simply sitting in the pews singing along, everyone was smiling.
It was effortless. Building deep relationships requires a lot of conscious thought and planning—you need to find people with shared values, build trust with them through vulnerable experiences, and commit to investing in the relationship regularly. Sunday Service gives you all of that out of the box. All you have to do is show up at the same time every week. Effortless.
It fostered new friendships. The welcoming atmosphere, the casual coffee chats, the friendly greetings at the door, and the simple invitations to connect with those around you during the service all combined to effortlessly foster new friendships.
It was inclusive. Young kids, older people, even atheists—everyone felt welcomed and involved. No one felt out of place.
It was designed to grow. Friends brought friends, who were then invited to become members and encouraged to support opening new churches elsewhere.
I walked away wondering how I, as someone not religious, could find a similar kind of community. It clicked for me pretty quickly: this is exactly what we're trying to do with Wednesday Waffles.
Now I'm wondering: how do we infuse Wednesday Waffles with the best of Sunday Service?
How do we make it fun? Can the app spark excitement and anticipation every time you record or watch a waffle, instead of feeling like a chore?
How do we make it effortless? Can we create a predictable rhythm for making and watching waffles, reducing stress and enhancing ease? Can a user reap most of the powerful benefits by simply showing up on Wednesdays?
How do we make it inclusive? Can we design an app where users feel comfortable inviting anyone—from colleagues and grandparents to distant friends?
How do we foster new friendships? Can we make an app where you not only bring your existing deep connections, but could potentially make new ones?
How do we make it grow? Can we gently encourage users to continually invite loved ones, organically expanding our community?
I’m not religious. I never was, and I likely never will be. But still I yearn for many of the beautiful things religion offers, like community.
But maybe we can create a community that isn’t tied to a religion but still offers much of the same benefits. Maybe, just maybe, Wednesday Waffles can be our Sunday Service.