Coffee and church?

[binny]

I come from a very conservative church bakground. We used to have a guy who appointed himself the guardian of the sanctuary. If you even got CLOSE to the sanctuary with a cup of coffee or a drink you would get "the look" .

Once when I was a teenager I was coming in from outside and taking my can of soda downstairs I passed the santuary to say something to to my dad ( the minister) and got " Now Robin you KNOW your dad would not be happy if you took that in there!" He was a great guy really and about 70 at the time he was just a stickler for the rules.

Anyway, our church now has an espresso bar. They also serve bagels, muffins and biscotti. You can get bottled water, juice.... you name it. Youre welcome to take it into the service if you want to and almost everyone has at least a cup of something in their hand. In fact we often see Pastor with a cup of coffee LOL.

Im amazed at how much things have changed. I think its great but its kind of funny


So do you have a coffee bar in your church? Do people bring coffee or whatever into service?

 

[hpygrll]

People bring in coffee, donuts etc. I go to the contemporary service. But I have to admit - I would never do this - it kind of freaks me out. Then again I wouldn't wear jeans either - but I'm fine with others doing it.

Jenny

 

[Aimeedyan]

The only time food/drink is allowed in the sanctuary is at the annual Moravian Love Feast during Advent. The youth always think it's so cool that they get to actually drink coffee in the sanctuary!

We have a gorgeous historic sanctuary which would not be as gorgeous if people were allowed to snack in it. There are people that occasionally have a bottle of water with them, esp if they are fighting a cough, but it's rare and not encouraged. In addition, I don't see a need to eat during worship and wonder why people can't take care of that before and after. It's not the movie theater, afterall. (I love the idea of a coffee bar for before and after worship, it encourages fellowship and conversation)

Different strokes for different folks!

 

[TheGoofster]

Our church is actually in our dining room around a couple of tables, so no we don't have a problem with people eating and / or drinking in there. In fact we usually serve coffee, soda, milk, and snacks right when the service starts, and the people eat off and on the whole time. Our service went almost 3 1/2 hours today, so I guess it was a good thing we had stuff to eat, or else people might have started to faint. (BTW, the longer services aren't my idea, it's just that the people never want to stop, so we just keep going)

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I was raised that food and drink were a big no-no in the service so I would never bring it in. We have coffee and breakfast snacks in Sunday School that are in classrooms.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

I was also raised that it was a big no-no, but I think now that the push is that if they make church more appealing to the masses than more people will feel comfortable and want to come to church.
Our old church was this way, our new church not so much, but we wouldn't get the evil look for bringing something in either.

 

[binny]

I wouldnt take food in to the sanctuary sorry I meant we take coffee in all the time.

We do have the cafe though and people sit around and eat and drink before and after service or during the other service. A lot of people will go to one service and then fellowship during the other one.

 

[disykat]

Musicians and speakers often take water into the sanctuary (I do sometimes) in case their throats get dry. Occasionally you'll see someone else with a water bottle.

Although I have occasionally seen people with a cup of coffee during the Sunday School hour if the adult class is held in the sanctuary, normally people just finish their drinks before they go in. We have carpet and padded pews. Church is definately getting more casual as the years go by, but cleaning issues remain the same.

 

[Buckalew11]

I have taken my own "cup of candy" (my coffee in my S/D mug BTW!)) to SS class but I would never walk into the sanctuary with it. I think the idea of the pastries and coffee is nice but IMHO, not in the sanctuary. It seems to casual for me. I think it would be fine with me if it were just people going in and listening to a person talk about God for 1/2 hour or so, but "church" is more than that to me. Would I care if people did it? Nope. But I doubt I'll ever feel that laid back in the sanctuary.

Oh and Binny, we had a gou like that too--Woody. You really watched what you did with him around! I remember teaching a mission study to kids and he wouldn't let me hang up a map. There was no place for that type thing except on the wall and there were enough pushpin holes on that old wall that I didn't even need to make a new one, but Woody still insisted "no map on the wall".

 

[binny]

LOL Buck ours was Claude!


I guess I might feel differently if we had an old sanctuary too. Our services are held in the all purpose room though (read really nice gym) and we dont have pews. It cleans up so nicely though you would hardly know it was a gym if you werent looking for it.

 

[JVL1018]

It would never even occur to me to bring food and drink into church--except of course bottles for babies and Cheerios for toddlers.
I have never seen anyone walk in with coffee, even though Ive never heard a word either for or against it, it has never come up.

We have coffee hour after church every Sunday at the church house across the street from the church-coffee, tea, baked goods, with cookies and juice for the kids.

 

[powellrj]

we built a new sanctuary several years ago. We built a welcome center for just that reason. EXCEPT, it never happened. Several members got really upset at the thought of food and drink in our new welcome center so it isn't allowed. We have a beautiful welcome center with a tiled floor, but there are no drinks allowed.

My DMs church started having coffee hour after services and it has been very successful, I wish we had the same time.

 

[Miller1412]

Our church serves coffee and snacks between early and late service, so it's very common to see people with a cup of Joe. I haven't done it myself, because I don't drink coffee, but I'm planning to get a big mug for my morning Diet Pepsi. And I do go in jeans. I like that it's relaxed.

I should add that our sanctuary is a multipurpose gym/all purpose room.

 

[ElizK]

No drinks/food in our sanctuary. Lots of people stand around in the foyer with stuff, though, and we always have food/drinks in Sunday school.

 

[Talking Hands]

All of the interpreters take a bottle of water into service and drink it if needed. So do the musicians and our preacher always has a bottle there as well. Others don't normally and we are asked not to bringin food, juice or coffee. Just water.

 

[almburr]

never into mass. Kids will take a sippy or bottle, zip-lock of crackers.

Our rule growing up was once you had 1st. communion you couldnt have those things.

Kids will get up during mass to get a drink.

 

[goofygirl]

There's no food and drink in the church itself. Next door in the Parish Hall we have Coffee Hour after the service- in fact I was in the Coffee Hour host group today. We serve coffee, tea, juice, cakes, cheese and crackers, etc.

I remember once that someone brought chips or some snack into the church and the priest said, "Are you at the movies?"

 

[MassJester]

We have a coffee hour after mass. The back of the sanctuary is an open area where many of "mill about" and drink (not much better than) fair coffee.

It's quite nice actually.

 

[pearlieq]

We don't have food/drink in the sanctuary. The only exception would be water for the pulpit and lectern in case speakers need it.

 

[SplshMtn99]

I'm from a stuffy Catholic (New England) background. Food & drink in church? Never! Oh my.