Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

I think the idea is great.

Now we have to wait and see if it will take hold.

A church member came up with the idea of starting a lunch bunch group. Our church is growing, and not everyone knows each other anymore. It’s a natural growing pain but one that’s sometimes hard to mitigate.

One way, thought the church member, is to create opportunities for interaction.

The lunch bunch idea is built on the same concept as Foyer Groups, Dinners for Eight, or other similar eat-and-meet programs. Folks sign up during the week or on Sunday morning. They are placed in groups of four or eight, and after the service, they gather to pick a restaurant for Sunday brunch. 

The leader of the program thought restaurants would be more appealing than hosting strangers for a meal. And in some places—and our town might be one—there’s risk of the gatherings becoming increasingly more elaborate, a silent one-up-manship that undermines the idea of building comfortable community. 

Another bonus for the lunch bunch idea: who doesn’t like a special meal on a Sunday afternoon? It’s one of our family traditions. 

Yesterday was our first lunch bunch gathering. Even though nearly 200 filled the pews, only nine signed up for the lunch mixer. 

The nine of us, though, had a great time. We went to a new place and had open-face omelets (as yummy as they sound). I met a new person and talked with others, learning about their lives and vacation plans. It was good.

I’m hoping this idea takes root. We’re going to give it three or four more tries, scheduling it once a month through the fall. If it doesn’t appeal to people, we’ll drop it and try something new. After all, I’m a big advocate for the fail-fast method, as I shared last week. 

But I’m also curious to solicit the wisdom of this august group: What are you doing to help build relationships in your congregations? What works? What doesn’t?