Visiting Dinner Church with a Church, School, or Other Group

Here are a few ways to make your pilgrimage to St. Lydia’s a rich experience for you and for our congregation.

1. Be a participant in worship, rather than an observer.
   
   We're here to worship together, and so are you! When you arrive at St. Lydia's, you'll be invited to help create our liturgy, by cooking in the kitchen or setting the table. Jump in! You're part of what we're doing together.
   

2. Engage in conversation and connection during worship; you can always ask more questions after the service ends.
   
   Our congregants come to St. Lydia's to experience the divine. Some of them come every week, others are coming for the very first time, perhaps with some fear or trepidation about attending church. They're there to build relationships and learn about God. When you're a curious visitor, it can be tempting to pepper congregants with questions. However, too much of this can make people feel like they're being interviewed when they're just trying to worship. Please know that after the service, the Pastor, Coordinator, or other congregants will be happy to answer as many questions as you have about St. Lydia's and the way we worship.
   
   At the dinner table, we invite you to engage those around you in casual conversation. "Where are you from?" "How long have you lived in New York?" and "What were you up to this week?" are all great conversation starters. Sometimes the preacher also offers a table prompt!
   

3. Do some reading in advance.
   
   There are a number of resources available that can help you learn about St. Lydia's in advance of your visit. This article in Faith and Leadership describes how we got started, and we also recommend this longer radio interview on Spiritually Speaking, in which our founding Pastor describes the process of St. Lydia's getting off the ground.

   If you're interested in how we plan our worship, you can look at our script. Our Liturgy Library is also a treasure trove of information, including recordings of past sermons and information about all the music we sing in worship. We have blog posts about our various lydian practices, including the spiritual practice of songleading, and how we choose music. If you're interested in our governance system, check out our Rule of Life.
   

4. Enjoy yourself.
   
   We’re glad you’re here, and are looking forward to getting to know you and worshipping with you too. Thank you for visiting, and thank you for your support!