Amazingly a month has passed since our first Afternoon Tea Service and on Thursday we held our second! We knew in advance that about a quarter of those who attended the first, would not be able to join us on this occasion, for a whole variety of reasons.
Over fifty handmade invitations had been made and handed out, passed on or delivered to people with whom we had contact.
When talking to people in the church, we became aware that some people found it hard to know who to invite - either because their friends are working in the afternoon, or need to collect children.
Others only really had contact with church people.
Someone else observed that it is risky to give an invitation, in case it is declined.
The assumption had been that it was easier to invite to an afternoon tea than to a service.
Interesting.
As we followed up on the invitations, people began to give their apologies and it felt a bit like the parable of the great banquet in Luke 14:15-24. However, this was what God had guided us to do, and we felt that it was very important particularly in the early days when the character of the Afternoon Teas was being shaped, that we didn't advertise by posters, but invited people with whom we had contact.
One lady took the opportunity to say how much she appreciated the hand-made invitation and how well the simple design worked.
For October, we had gone with an orange theme for Harvest and our focus was on creation. Each table had a stand bearing The Lord's Prayer and Grace, which we said together before the food was served. There were also some Table Topics, in case the conversation flaged. This month they were:-
- Favourite flower
- Least favourite vegetable
- Funniest garden disaster
- Something you grew
We try to vary the food that is on offer each month. Last time we had scones as our extra. This time we had halved plum tomatoes and sausage rolls.
I was rather amused to note that the cake and fruit plates followed the orange theme! A lovely happenstance, or was it?
The allotted time came, and people gradually began to arrive. At the first session, we had mainly restricted it to four chairs at a table. Observing the group dynamics, we reached the conclusion that some groups might work even better if there were five or six to a table.
One person observed that there seemed fewer people, which was a shame. However, we were too busy in a whirl of filling teacups and passing round sandwiches and cakes to notice.
As the takeaway gift this month we had hyacinth bulbs. However, because they had been placed at the front of the church out of the way, we completely forgot about them until half the folk had gone home! No worries, they will make great Harvest gifts for some of the folk we know.
During a brief lull when teacups were full and no plates required refilling, I sat down to enjoy a cup of coffee and some sandwiches. I took the opportunity to count heads. To my amazement there were twentyone people present. It looked less because there were more seated at each table!
Later I said to one of the other helpers
"We had twenty-one, one more than last time!"
"Yes, I know!" she replied with a big smile "I counted."
This meant that at least a quarter of those present were here for the first time.
Sometimes, what appears to be less, is more!
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| Ladies who make Afternoon Tea |
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