Eating in church

[Salty]

Many churches do not permit eating or drinking in the sanctuary or even anywhere in the church building.

The chapter used is I Cor 11 ( vs 18 - 22)

What are your thoughts?

 

[donnA]

humm, not sure how to answer. we have sign asking people not to bring food or drink in during worship service, but people do for kids. our sancutary has chairs that are removed for large get togethers, like our thanksgiving dinner. wednesday night meals are not in the sanctuary because we don't need that much space, we use our extra large foyer, which is why it was built extra large. the scripture used is not about not eating at church, but about abusing it, the rich bringing their rich foods, and the poor not having any food at all, meaning not a communal (pot luck) meal with people sharing. But each brings what they can, and b ring nothing if you can't, you still eat, and have access to all the food same as anyone else, rich or poor.

 

[abcgrad94]

I don't have a problem with people eating in church, as long as they share!:tongue3:

 

[annsni]

We eat everywhere in church depending on the circumstance. Our sanctuary is a large room with removable seats. When we have our Christmas program dinner theater, we have a catered dinner in the sanctuary. Other times we'll eat in there are the annual dinner, weddings, and special ministry events. Just this week the ladies' Bible class will meet in the sanctuary and they always have food (the fellowship hall is being taken over by our county's evangelical pastors association) and then in a few weeks we have a large luncheon for families with special needs children. Of course each week when I go to work, I consume my bagel and coffee while I'm working in the sanctuary as well. So we don't have a problem eating in the sanctuary and certainly not in any other parts of the church.

 

[OldRegular]

The only ones eating or drinking in the auditorium during worship should be nursing or bottle fed babies. Of course there are a lot of "babes in Christ" within the church family!

 

[annsni]

I just wanted to add that food and coffee is NOT allowed in the sanctuary during church. Water bottles are fine and of course anything for babies or children but it's harder to clean up food that spills if the rows of chairs are not moved each week.

 

[SaggyWoman]

Well. One church that I am a part of advocates it. They serve coffee and "stuff" and it is freely allowed in and out of the service area.

Another church I am a part of has signs up saying no food and drink in the sanctuary. I don't know if people follow it or not. But probably for the most part on most services it is followed as a general rule. I think they are worried about spillage. It ain't the other stuff.

A third church I attend while I am at work does not have a sign up. I don't think people bring anything in on Sunday mornings, but I think they do at other times.

 

[Tom Butler]

I know of one church which built a separate building for its fellowship meals. No eating or drinking any in the main building.

I think it's mainly out of respect rather than any scriptural prohibition.

 

[Jon-Marc]

I've never seen eating or drinking in the sancuary. The Baptist churches I've been in usually have a room for that. The church I visited last night had a potluck to which I was invited. I liked everything about this church and just might continue going.

The only problem I had was the guest speaker who preached at me all during the meal when I made the mistake of telling him that my ministry in the church has always been in music. He proceeded to tell me that the ministry of all believers is to go to unbelievers and tell them of Christ.

That is a commandment to all believers, but it has nothing to do with our individual gifts. Mine is in music, and I consider that my ministry before God and to all those who come to worship God (or whatever their reason is for being there).

 

[Robert Snow]

I had an unusual situation concerning eating and drinking during church services last Sunday morning.

I am currently on medication that causes me to be drowsy and causes my mouth to dry out. For this reason I brought a small styrofoam cup of water to have during the morning service. I was very aware that, if not careful, I could spill this water and make quite a scene. Sure enough, just before the end of the preaching, I nodded off and tipped the little water that was left in the cup. Fortunately it landed on my left sock and did not make a mess in the auditorium. Although no damage or disturbance occurred, it sure felt funny having one wet sock and foot walking out to the truck. :laugh:

 

[menageriekeeper]

We eat all through our church EXCEPT the sanctuary. But there is no reason for anyone to eat in the sanctuary either. Folks get fussy about it too.

There was one time during VBS that the cleaning ladies were fussing that we were walking where they had already vaccuumed and there were going to be footprints on the carpet (not dirty foot prints mind you but simply marks where the carpet was squashed) when the first person got there for Wednesday night service.

I laughed so long about that, they didn't bother to fuss at me again.

But we still don't eat in the sanctuary!!

 

[Deacon]

Coffee, tea and a snack is provided in the back of room where we worship.

Early February we will have a Chilli cookoff there too.

Ya'll are invited, especially if you bring a pot of chilli.

Rob

 

[dcorbett]

I know of one church which built a separate building for its fellowship meals. No eating or drinking any in the main building.

I think it's mainly out of respect rather than any scriptural prohibition.

We have a designated fellowship hall with a kitchen attached. Why allow the sanctuary to be crudded up? It is designated as a special place.

I thought I would add that I am not pointing fingers at those who don't have a desginated fellowship hall. I only mean this: when you have a designated area, why would you eat in a carpeted and clean sanctuary?

 

[Mexdeaf]

At the risk of getting slammed, I'm still wondering WHO declared "sanctuaries" are a "special place". I have yet to find it in the Bible.

And I still contend that is nothing more than Catholic thinking that has infiltrated our Baptist churches.

Probably 95% of evangelical churches outside of the USA would snicker at us (or wonder what the big deal is) for having this discussion.

 

[annsni]

We have a designated fellowship hall with a kitchen attached. Why allow the sanctuary to be crudded up? It is designated as a special place.

I thought I would add that I am not pointing fingers at those who don't have a desginated fellowship hall. I only mean this: when you have a designated area, why would you eat in a carpeted and clean sanctuary?

Because in our church, we can only fit about 100 in our fellowship hall at tables for food but in our sanctuary we can get a full 700 at tables with a buffet set-up. When we have our annual dinner, we actually seat people in our sanctuary, fellowship hall AND our gym (our former sanctuary) for dinner then everyone comes into the sanctuary once the food is cleared away for the program/budget vote. We're a church that expanded so our fellowship hall is still the size it was when the church was 50 people.

 

[RAdam]

At the risk of getting slammed, I'm still wondering WHO declared "sanctuaries" are a "special place". I have yet to find it in the Bible.

And I still contend that is nothing more than Catholic thinking that has infiltrated our Baptist churches.

Probably 95% of evangelical churches outside of the USA would snicker at us (or wonder what the big deal is) for having this discussion.

Exactly. There is nothing special or magical about the "sanctuary" itself. I think we can probably conclude that many, if not all, of the early churches met in someone's house, at least at first. Our Lord and His apostles preached in many different types of places, including Jewish synagogues. What's special isn't the place of meeting, but rather the congregation. We've had services in the lunch room before because the air conditioning was out in the sanctuary. It doesn't matter where you meet.

 

[Tom Butler]

We have a designated fellowship hall with a kitchen attached. Why allow the sanctuary to be crudded up? It is designated as a special place.

I thought I would add that I am not pointing fingers at those who don't have a desginated fellowship hall. I only mean this: when you have a designated area, why would you eat in a carpeted and clean sanctuary?

That's the best reason of all.

 

[donnA]

we don't have a fellowship hall, the sanctuary was built to be both sanctuary and fellowship hall.

 

[menageriekeeper]

Our sanctuary was built specifically for preaching and yes, we want it kept nice for the tv cameras. Not so nice that we worry about footsteops in the carpet though.

We do have a fellowship hall, though I doubt it would sit the whole membership, but sits everyone who comes to Wednesday night supper easily enough, though we do eat in two "shifts". The early one is for the children and the mission workers/choir teachers who take care of the after and the second shift is for everyone else. The gym also has a snack area, and if all else failed, we'd move into the classrooms (where coffee and such is offered of a Sunday morning as a matter of course).

Didn't we already have a discussion on the sanctity of the sanctuary? Do we really need to have another?

 

[TC]

I generally bring a covered cup of coffee or a bottle of water or juice and no one ever says anything.