I think we might all agree that fellowship can be challenging under Stay In Place orders, but Jan Hanson’s supper club gets a special nod for being anticipatory if not downright prophetic.

Jan and her husband, Steve, moved from Denver to St. Louis in December 2018 but their Supper Club didn’t want to break up, so they adopted a bit of technology that at that time might have been best known in business circles: Zoom.

Who doesn’t know about Zoom now? Chances are you’re on Zoom at least once a week if not multiple times a day. If you’re lucky, you bought Zoom stock last year.

The Hansons and their Supper Club were in the forefront, meeting for a full year on Zoom before the pandemic forced the rest of us to do likewise. Before COVID-19, the Denverites would gather for a meal and Zoom in the Hansons and another couple who divide their time between Denver and Evanston, Ill.

Says Jan, “It has been so supportive and helpful to Steve and me to have the continuity of fellowship with this group during our transition… Now that everyone is staying home, it’s wonderful to have this way to connect and support each other.”

Ruth Noblett says her Supper Club is a close-knit group of eight that functions as a “mini church” of support. The others are Ruth’s husband Bob, Sally and Paul Barrett, Diane and Gilbert McKenzie, Sandy Freed and Ann Midgley.

Since they last met in person on Feb. 22, they have used Zoom to get together each month.

“Our discussions reveal how much we miss being in church and really seeing each other,” Ruth says. “However, we all enjoy the spoken word and the wonderful musical offerings we experience each week. We are most grateful for the wonderful videos that are presented…”

Ann Epps’ Supper Club is meeting every two weeks on Zoom. The group had been following the Ted Talk discussions through April. Now, members are taking turns leading the conversation on a topic of their choice. Ann says they spend a third of the time checking in and two-thirds on the topic.

Marilynn Ackermann’s group began meeting by Zoom on April 7, starting with a discussion of a long article by Charles Eisenstein, “Sacred Economics.”

“It really challenged us all on life-and-death beliefs and the issues COVID-19 was adding to our philosophies,” says Marilynn. The group had a robust conversation about the dichotomy of protecting older adults through isolation even as young children are separated from their playmates and social structure.

They also did a “deep check-in” on how the SIP order was affecting everyone in vastly different ways. The group, now dubbed Supper Club Without Food, plans to continue meeting monthly through the summer and, potentially, this fall.

Adds Marilynn, “We do all need to remember to grieve. We are in the ‘pit’ and that’s okay now. Nobody needs to fix it, just acknowledge it. Most people are doing well with their isolation but everyone in our group worries about people who can’t stay home or are losing their jobs.”

Jeanne Lee’s Supper Club has taken things a step further. It’s been meeting on Zoom weekly since March 29. [See photo of Zoom meeting on Easter Sunday.] The day after that meeting, the group began “meeting” daily to pray. 

Debbie Devore got the idea from a book she read many years ago, “The Power of Eight.” The premise of the book scientifically demonstrates that when eight people pray with a common intention, we are heard and change happens, she says.

Jeanne wrote the prayer in six parts. It calls for comfort and support for front line workers, people directly affected by COVID-19 and those who are working for solutions. Her group of eight has expanded to 12, and each prays individually at home or on the go at 12 noon each day.

The group also has participated in making face masks and donating goods and masks to the Women’s Homeless Initiative, a pet project for member Mary Deffenbaugh.

Said one member, “One becomes friends through time and mutual exploration of topics. We’re experiencing this defining moment together.”

– By Jan Paul