Update on Coffee Hour: Please Sign-Up

For the last several weeks, the Vestry has hosted our much beloved coffee hour and has explored in particular how we do coffee hour. We have re-familiarized ourselves with the social and technical operations required to support a successful coffee hour. We have experimented with different systems of operations and offerings, with a focus on getting the basics right and streamlining, so that, over the long term, the operations don't end up getting in the way of the hospitality and fellowship we all love. You've helped the Vestry in its exploration by graciously enjoying and joining in on the hospitality, and most importantly, by continuing to use the time to connect with and care for each other. Thank you for that, and also for your lighthearted spirit!

We're now ready to move out with a specific organizational system and broaden participation in the hosting. Please sign-up to host. After familiarizing yourself with the guidelines for coffee hour hosts (which can be found on our website's Fellowship page), please sign up for 3-4 slots for the remainder of this liturgical year using this sign-up sheet (the link can also be found on our Fellowship page). Like the sign-up sheet, the guidelines are a living document. It will undoubtedly require tweaks, including when we integrate the new coffee maker that we've ordered.

One guideline in particular might require some explanation. We're trying out a system in which snack bearers for each coffee hour are asked to bring only two kinds of snacks, each snack serving approximately 20-25 people (e.g., apples AND muffins). We also would like all food, with very few exceptions (e.g., milk for coffee), to be brought home after coffee hour. Thus, we are intending to rely much less on stockpiled staples, which require careful labeling and attention to supplies, and much more on fresher food for the day, which can also vary easily from one host to another. Contributions from parishioners other than that day's signed-up snack bearers are still welcome, but those snacks should return home too, which enables the contributor to see how much was eaten and adjust, if appropriate. We are looking forward to seeing how this system works out. Let's have fun with it!

Thank you for making our much loved coffee hour possible. If you have any questions or comments, please do share them with Dan Plafcan, Michele Casciano, or other Vestry members.