Rules for Going Out to Eat After Church

Rules for Going Out to Eat After Church

Those of us in the church complain that so many people are not in church.   

Sadly, this is true in part because many of them are working and waiting for us to get out of church.  You’ll see them in the store or at the restaurant as you have lunch.

Many servers have a negative opinion of Jesus and church because of the Sunday lunch crowd—those who have supposedly just heard from God.  Church attenders who dress nice and who have supposedly just spent time singing, saying “Praise the Lord” are often in a hurry, in a bad mood, are typically more demanding, cannot be pleased and don’t tip well. 

Don’t believe me?  Just ask what day they hate working the most and why.  For many, it’s their best opportunity to be busy and make a little more money.  But it’s balanced against what they have to put up with.

Because of this, believers must think carefully about how they present themselves if they are going to go out to eat after a morning in church.

Here are some simple rules for going out to eat after church.

1.    If you’re in a bad mood, cranky or frustrated… don’t go out 
Your attitude will be evident to all before the meal is over.  It will reflect poorly on you, church & Christians in general and your server will figure out what church you go to.  But most importantly and tragically, their opinion of Jesus will sink even lower and the person who really needs to be in church will be reminded once again why they don’t want to go.  If you are in a bad mood, your server will likely bear the sting of it in some way—stay home or hit the Drive-Thru.

2.   Ask for and Use your server’s Name
Too many servers feel as if they are less than human by the way they are treated.  Learning their name and treating them pleasantly goes a long way.  Some of them may have wanted to be sitting next to you in church but cannot because they need the job.

3.   Ask if there’s anything you can pray for them about – be sure and do it
Most people still believe in prayer.  We demonstrate that we do when we pray over our meals, but we demonstrate we care for them when we include them in our prayer.  It won’t be long before you talk to a server who is going through some kind of life crisis and is barely able to keep themselves together because they can’t afford to miss any more work.

4.   Intentionally Seek to be a blessing to them
If you’re following these rules, you may already be their best table of the day.  Be creative in how you can bless them—tell them you appreciate their work or find their manager and compliment them.

5.   Be Generous
Whether they really deserve it or not, show grace—undeserved favor.  This is the essence of the gospel—as believers, Jesus died for us even while we were His enemies.  God has given us what we did not deserve.  Most servers make a terrible hourly wage and depend on tips to make any money.  They remember generosity, especially when they know the food wasn’t right or took too long.

6.   Leave a Thank You note
Write on a napkin if you have to, but let them know you appreciate their service.  Better yet, have your church develop something designed to give them.  Leave it with your tip or somewhere on the table.