FYI

Local Christian Ministry Uses Restaurant ‘Eatups’ to Help Build Their Church

Kind of like a meetup, but for God, plus brunch.
Kind of like a meetup, but for God, plus brunch.

A curious Sunday afternoon dining phenomenon has just caught our attention: tablefuls of newfangled Christians gathering at Castro-area restaurants to compare notes on faith and God and stuff in arranged but informal “Eatups.” The concept belongs to Reality SF, a church that launched here in 2010 and meets on Sunday mornings at the Swedish American Hall (2174 Market Street). They’re the kind of church that does podcasts, and has a slick website, so it stands to reason that they’d be savvy enough to use San Franciscans’ near universal foodieness to their ministerial advantage.

After services, parishioners who want to go brunching are assigned to dining groups, and these groups head off to nearby restaurants selected by the church which include Chow, Blue, La Med, and Woodhouse Fish Co. As the website explains, “A goal with Eatups is to provide a welcoming entryway for a new visitor or a regular to join our community on any particular Sunday.” Also they add that “Meals are a biblical way of showing unity… [and] God can use these opportunities, however fleeting, in doing the work of welcoming someone in Christ’s name.”

So, if you’re in one of these restaurants on a Sunday afternoon and wonder why the table next to you is quoting Bible verses and laughing at in-jokes about Jesus, now you know.

Eatups [Reality SF]

Local Christian Ministry Uses Restaurant ‘Eatups’ to Help Build