July 28, 2024
Welcome! You are invited to the table…
Four Seasons Supper Clubs
Fairhope United Methodist Church
Meals are full of significance.
Sharing a table—sharing food in companionship with others is a bridge to something so much greater. What begins as fellowship around a table quite often opens the door to friendship. In his book, A Meal with Jesus, Tim Chester says this: “Jesus didn’t run projects, establish ministries, create programs, or put on events. He ate meals.”
Our church is growing and we want to give our new—and old—friends every opportunity to enjoy the rich experience of what a church community is meant to be. This is why we have established Four Seasons Supper Clubs. Supper Clubs are a way to cultivate community in the way Jesus demonstrated. We see in Acts 2:42 that as the early church emerged, table fellowship quickly became the norm for community among the first century followers of Jesus.
In the busy-ness of our day-to-day lives, it is easy to miss out on the centuries old ritual of nurturing relationships around a table. Supper Clubs are a simple attempt to slow down and experience God’s gift of friendship. Over the course of a year—four seasons—you can learn a lot about each other and begin to establish meaningful connections.
How Does It Work?
Groups are open to couples or singles. We will assign you to a group who will be “your people” for the next year. We ask you to gather for dinner at least “seasonally” or every 3 months. We hope you will choose to gather more often. Our experience is that groups who meet together monthly can really get to know each other and build some meaningful relationships.
Groups will be reorganized annually. If next year your group chooses to stay together, we will honor that, but will ask that you always keep the group open with an extra place at the table (see below!)
A “captain” will be assigned who will make contact and organize the first gathering. Then the opportunity to host the group can rotate among the members. Your group may want to meet in homes. You may choose “pot luck” or you may want the host to provide the main course with others bringing complementary dishes. Or, the host may choose to meet at a local restaurant with everyone paying for their own meal. Some groups may want to meet for brunch after church on Sunday—or really any mutually agreed upon time and place.
An Extra Place at the Table
New people are finding their way into our community all the time, and we want them to find a “place at the table” as well. We ask that you keep your group open so that other people may join your group throughout the year, not to exceed a total of twelve people. This may happen organically with your members inviting others to join. At times, we will contact you with the names of new people looking for a place to “pull up a chair!”
Ready to Join?
To sign up, fill out the form below or pick up a brochure with registration form in the church office, narthex or CLC.
Still Have Questions?
If you have any questions about Four Seasons Supper Clubs, please contact Rev. Laura Parker, 251-928-1148 or
