How to Help our Coffee Hour

The name “Coffee Hour” doesn’t do justice to the meal that we share after Divine Liturgy on Sunday mornings. It would be more rightly called an “Agape Meal,” since it is an extension of the fellowship that we just experienced upstairs. Over the years, our meal has evolved from simple bagels and coffee into a minor feast. Visitors often comment on how wonderful and unique it is.

There are many families who contribute their time and money to providing these meals, and it is done with love for all those who partake. However, these people are being stretched a little thin and we need to ask for more help. If you aren’t already, please consider helping out in one of these ways:

1. Volunteer to be on a Coffee Hour Team. We need more families to participate, if possible. It involves preparing food (either a hot dish, some sandwiches, perhaps some fruit and/or veggies) about once every 7 weeks. The Team also cleans up afterward.

2. Volunteer to help clean. If food preparation isn’t your thing, you can still help to clean up after Coffee Hour. We can add you to a Team so that you would only need to help out once every 7 weeks or so.

3. Put an offering in the “Donation” box. If you are unable to help with food prep, please consider donating some money each week in the wooden box usually located on the food table. This money goes directly toward buying food and supplies for the meals. We are also starting a Team Fund to assist families with buying ingredients/food for the meals. The cost of participating on a Team is a burden on some families who are happy to put in the time to prepare food, but have difficulty fitting it into their budget. Important: please do not take this to mean that you are required to donate money in order to eat! I am only asking people to do what they can to help out. If you are short on cash at the moment, your prayers are always welcome and needed!

Please see Susan Brown if you are able to help out.

Thank you!


P.S. I’ve been asked to do a little review of “Coffee Hour Manners” - just a friendly reminder to help prevent a few problems that crop up from time to time.

1. Please let visitors and elderly parishioners serve themselves first (and help them, if needed).
2. The number of people at church varies so sometimes we have plenty of food, but other times we are a little low. Also, there are many people upstairs cleaning up after Liturgy who come down late (sometimes to an empty table), so please fill your plate lightly your first time through the line. Then come back for seconds once the “upstairs crew” has gotten food!
3. Please review these guidelines with your children and monitor them during Coffee Hour, if necessary.