If you were to visit Potluck Church, you might witness something like this:
 
Greeting
[We welcome folks by name and invite them to get a drink.]
 
Light the Christ Candle 
[We ask for a volunteer light the Christ Candle, and we say, “We light this candle to remind us that Christ is with us in this very room.”]
 
Prayer
[We invite someone to pray for the meal.]
 
Fill Plates and Eat
[First-time guests are invited (and sometimes cajoled) to go first.]
 
Announcements and Birthdays
[When we have no desserts on hand, sometimes the birthday candle gets lodged in a fried chicken wing.]
 
Introduction Question
[We ask, “Where did you experience God since we last gathered?”]
 
Introduce Topic or Theme for Discussion
 
Read and Discuss Scripture and/or other materials
 
Prayer
[We ask: “What is your prayer?” Prayer joys and concerns are shared, and then a volunteer offers a prayer for all that has been shared.]
 
Preparation for the Breaking of Bread/Communion Meditation 
 
Breaking Bread (Communion)
[We explain that we’ll rip off a piece of the bread, dip it in the cup, and then serve your neighbor. ]
        Words of Institution
        Sharing of the Bread and Cup
        [Either a volunteer serves as a deacon serving each person around the table, or we simply pass    
​         the plate and cup, serving our neighbor around the table.]
 
Benediction 
 
Clean-up

“What do you do when there isn’t enough food?” people sometimes ask about Potluck Church. To date we’ve never experienced that challenge. 
 
The challenge we face is discerning how to faithfully address our leftovers. Some will take their dish home to share with others in their family or to have for lunch the next day. Some will swap a few servings with other potluckers who especially enjoyed their dish. And some nights there is great excitement when a potlucker knows of a neighbor or friend who might benefit from a home-cooked meal, and immediately we all start grabbing our polka dot to-go containers and filling them with servings of an entrée, and veggies, a slice of dessert, and some extra carbs—because who doesn’t need extra carbs when life is challenging? It’s a thrill for us to share this meal will others and to send a message letting them know that we are thinking of them.
 
Recently after breaking my arm, I was the recipient of polka dot to-go containers of summer gazpacho, corn salad, chia seed chips, and homemade chicken salad. More than an abundant meal, it was a sweet reminder that I was remembered and loved. God bless the leftovers!