HROC Coffee Hour Past and Future

Several of us HROCers have been having conversations recently about our Coffee Hour, and have come up with some ideas to try to keep what is good about our after-Liturgy meals, but reduce some of the negatives. I wanted to share with you our thoughts and plans. (Note: this is only about the meals after Divine Liturgy on Sundays.)

What is good about our Coffee Hour. As most of you know, our after-Liturgy meal evolved over time from bagels and coffee to the more complete meal it is now, with hot foods through desserts. This is wonderful because it allows us to have leisurely fellowship time together rather than feeling the need to hurry along to get a more hearty meal after our morning of fasting. Also, the families who provide the meals generally enjoy being creative with the meal planning and view the time and resources they spend as a gift to the parishioners.

What is not so good. Because there are no strict guidelines about our coffee hours, some families are unsure about what or how much to prepare. This can lead to stress. Additionally, the large quantity of food that has now become the norm results in a significant expense. From casual conversations, it appears that each family on a team spends at least $50 to $80 for an average coffee hour. Another issue is the fact that despite the efforts of the team to provide plentiful food, the people who come to the table last (usually because they were finishing duties upstairs) often have little left to choose from. Lastly, our coffee hour meals are not completely in line with the normal fasting/feasting schedule of the church. Each one is often such a feast that our actual feast day meals pale in comparison!

Our Goals. With these things in mind, here are the goals we are working toward.

1. Create guidelines for the type and quantity of food for the different seasons of the church year. We don’t want to be so strict as to limit creativity, but have just enough structure to minimize stress as well as adhere to the seasonal guidelines of the church.
2. Create an “HROC Pantry” of staple food items that will be used for meals, such as breads, spreads, chips, crackers, cheeses, beverages, etc. The items can either be donated by parishioners or purchased using money from the donation box (which means we should be a little more direct about requesting donations!). This will reduce the financial burden on the coffee hour teams, and provides a great way for non-coffee hour team folks to contribute to the effort.
3. Adjust the physical setup of the coffee hall and food service. We have moved the beverage service off of the kitchen counter so that the main food items can be served from there, so the coffee hour teams can have some control over the rate of consumption, to ensure that everyone has a chance at a first helping of food. Some items will still be on the food table (especially breads, desserts, fruits, etc.).

Our main goal is that our coffee hour be a continuation of the communion and fellowship that we share during the Divine Liturgy. Yes, we are encouraging a little more modest preparation and consumption of food, but in no way want to diminish the notion that these meals are prepared with love for the enjoyment of all present. Please give me (Susan) any comments you have now or as we continue to develop these ideas!