Disciples, Apostles, and Saints!
Over the next few weeks we will be experimenting with volunteers hosting our fellowship time after the 10:00 service; that time we often call Coffee Hour. Our hope is that we might share in the responsibility for preparing and cleaning up after our time together.
While this seems natural, our local practice suggests it is anything but. We have a long history of relying on someone to set things up for us and clean up after us. This, of course, allows the rest of us to “attend” church on Sunday, visit for a few minutes, and then go about our day. And while all of our people give in a variety of ways, this is one place where our giving is not so evenly distributed.
And yet, it is also a place where efforts to contribute have not always been welcomed. This, too, is part of our local practice.
What I hope we can develop over the next few weeks is a commitment to shared responsibility. That we give different people the opportunity to host, to offer their generosity to the community through this humble service. That the work can be done, yes, but also that work might be more broadly shared by the community. This isnt just to make things easier for everyone, but more normal. More of what we all do. To share in these responsibilities as a church community.
Some ideas for hosting include: celebrating a big occasion in your life, wanting to try out a new recipe without having to eat it all yourself, sharing pictures from a vacation, or just wanting to have some quiet time in the kitchen washing dishes. We’ll help you figure out the coffee maker.
With love,
Drew+
