Fellowship Hour Guidelines at St. Mary’s Orthodox Church

The following guidelines cover everything you need to know to host a successful Fellowship hour.

General Planning

What is provided already?

Paper goods, cold drinks, coffee and tea, half n half, creamer, cream cheese, peanut butter and almond better, jam (Some people can't host but they want to support financially. This allows us to reduce the expense and shopping for the hosts. Hosting can be as simple as providing bagels! )

What should I bring?

Basic: bagels. That and coffee is enough for people to stay for the fellowship!

Standard: most hosts expand FH to include these four categories:

  • starch (pita, bagels, crackers, etc)
  • protein (cheese, hummus, peanut butter, meat, eggs. etc.)
  • fresh (fruit and/or vegetables)
  • sweet (donuts, cookies, pastries, etc.)

Fancy: There are table covers in a cabinet to the right of the stove, and some people go the extra mile in food preparation, but this is usually only for special occasions.

Check for leftovers: There are often leftover bagels, pita or pastries in the freezer, and often some other things like hummus or olives in the fridge. There is also a metal bin next to the fridge that has any leftover chips, crackers and cookies. Shannon tries to notify upcoming hosts of the current leftovers, but it’s best to look for yourself.

How much should I bring?

It's better to plan for larger quantities of fewer items; otherwise people take one of each and food runs out faster.

Estimate 40-60 people in the summer, 80+ in the Fall/Winter/Spring, Numbers fluctuate down on holiday or school vacation week Sundays and up for important events and celebrations.

Hosting Steps

Drinks

  1. Coffee, creamer, and cold drinks are provided,
    1. Start the urn of coffee at the beginning of liturgy so it has time to brew. Instructions are posted on the cabinet to the right of the fridge, but Dn. James often does this, if needed.)
    2. Fill 2 pitchers of water from the sink (it’s fine) and chill in the fridge.
    3. Put out thermal coffee cups, stirrers, and a basket of sugar/substitute packets. Also put out tea bags (basket or boxes) and cocoa pouches in colder weather.
    4. Put out plenty of cold cups (not thermal) for cold drinks.
    5. At the end of liturgy, put out 2 ½ n ½ (during non fasting) and 1 non dairy creamer (cartons is fine, no need for little pitchers)
    6. Put out 2 gallons of juice, lemonade, and/or ice tea. Fewer choices is better (2-3) than having a lot of opened bottles in the fridge.
    7. Fill about 15 cups ⅔ full (children) of a variety of the juices. Leave out the bottles for identification and self-refills.FOOD

Preparation

  1. Bagels are usually standard but not necessary. Cream cheese, jelly, peanut butter and almond butter are provided and in the fridge.
    1. Cut bagels in half top/bottom and then in half sides, so people can take ¼ a bagel. Start by opening and cutting only 1 dozen bagels and prep and add more if needed. (Often, we have a lot of cut-up bagels left over, and it’s easier to freeze them uncut.)
  2. Heated food: there is a microwave, but Parish Council doesn’t want people using the convection ovens or traditional stove/ovens. If you need these, please ask for permission. Hosts often bring slow cookers for hot foods, and there is a large rice maker available, also.
  3. Cold foods: keep in the fridge until time to set up the serving table.
  4. Room temp: you can set out bagels, crackers, chips, pastries, etc, before liturgy, but keep all foods covered until serving time (to protect from germs and to keep people from starting early).
  5. There should be no children under 13 years of age in the kitchen and/or handling food at any time, including serving people.

Serving

  1. Set up stacks of plates (smaller should suffice, some weeks we need full size); utensils (baskets of forks and/or spoons, knives if necessary); and napkins
  2. The tables are usually organized in this order: plates/utensils, bagels and toppings, savory dishes; fruit/veggie, sweets.
  3. The coffee hour food should be mostly served so that people are not handling or touching the food and so they don’t take too much. Please make sure you have enough help to serve.

Cleanup

  1. Do not leave any unused food in the kitchen refrigerator, except longlife foods (jam, butter, hummus, etc.)
    1. bagels and other baked goods can be wrapped and put in freezer
    2. cream cheese, peanut butter/jam, juice, creamer can be left in the fridge.
    3. Please take perishable foods with you or give it to others.
  2. Clean the kitchen thoroughly after the coffee hour.
    1. Dump out and rinse the coffee urn.
    2. Wash dishes, dry and put away. (Towels are in the bottom cupboard right of the doorway)
    3. Wipe counters and sweep the kitchen.
  3. Clean the hall (Lots of people can help with this).
    1. Wipe down the tables
    2. Return the tables and chairs to their racks.
    3. Sweep the hall.