Draw the circle wide: Coffee Hour edition
For many of us of a certain vintage, "dietary options" meant ticking a box about whether or not we wanted mustard on our bun on Hot Dog Day at school. But times have changed, and so have we!
Today, the people joining us for services and celebrations may be vegan, lactose-intolerant, gluten-free, diabetic, tea-totaller, vegetarian, or allergic to common food products. A table bursting with traditionally made sandwiches, cookies, and cakes may offer abundant variety to many attendees but leave others out entirely.
Truly inclusive hospitality means being willing to rethink how we do things to welcome more warmly all the people who walk through our doors. While we at St. Clement's are spoiled rotten by our coffee hour hosts (some of whom are vegans themselves), we know that this isn't always the case elsewhere.
We have produced a series of coffee hour "cheat sheets" that offer basic explanations of different dietary needs and ideas on ensuring there is something on the table for everyone. There are some great vegan and gluten-free recipes and a "grab-and-go" shopping list with some items to have on hand to ensure something for everyone at even a simple coffee hour. And finally, it offers a page of handy table markers to help keep foods separate and easily identifiable.
We know this resource will give us more "food for thought" here at St. Clement's; even more importantly, we hope it gives other churches in the Diocese a helping hand if they are still early in their journey to greater dietary inclusivity. Please click below to go straight to the Coffee Hour Cheat Sheet. From there, you can save it, print it, or share it (or all three!).
Produced with love (and a background in nutrition!) by Jenn Ashton.