On the night before he died, Jesus shared a final meal with his followers. He invited them to “take” and “eat.” Each week we are all invited to share in that eucharistic meal.  It is one of our greatest sacraments. Even beyond that, sharing food with one another is a simple and meaningful way that we as Christians express inclusion, love, and care toward others. Coffee hour, potlucks, and meal trains are beloved and important parts of our ministries and our culture. Feeding each other is our love language.

So what happens when expressing that very love language is no longer loving toward someone? What happens when our main sacrament is no longer safe or inclusive? Unfortunately, this is the case for children and adults who have allergies and celiac disease. When families managing food allergies cannot safely participate in their faith community, it can cause deep emotional and spiritual harm.

Food Allergies and Celiac Disease

One in 13 children in the United States has a food allergy, and 40–50% of those have required emergency care. Additionally, 1% of the U.S. population has celiac disease, a severe autoimmune reaction to wheat, rye, barley, and oats. Both conditions are increasing, have no cure, and require strict avoidance of their triggering foods to prevent reactions.

In both food allergies and celiac disease, the immune system mistakenly reacts to certain foods as harmful. Even trace amounts—such as crumbs or residue—can trigger reactions. In severe cases, airborne exposure may cause symptoms. These severe reactions make it difficult for many families affected by allergies to participate fully in their church life when so much of our shared faith revolves around food.

The top food allergens include:

• dairy (which may include milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, butter, cream)
• eggs
• fish
• shellfish
• wheat
• soy
• peanuts
• tree nuts (which may include almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, pecans, and walnuts)

Those with celiac disease must avoid gluten from:

• wheat
• rye
• barley
• oats

Managing Food Allergies and Celiac Disease in Church

1. Communion

For many people with wheat allergy or celiac disease, the most isolating challenge is that the eucharist contains wheat. The wine can also be contaminated through intinction or the breaking of the bread, and even trace crumbs can trigger a reaction.

Here are some ways to be more inclusive:

1. Provide gluten-free or wheat-free (GF/WF) hosts made in a dedicated facility, and keep them separate from regular hosts, either in their packaging or a closed pyx
2. Offer a dedicated GF/WF chalice to prevent cross-contamination
3. Train the altar guild and those who serve at the altar on how and why to keep the GF/WF hosts separate, and revisit that training each year
4. Offer to let regular members with celiac disease or wheat allergy bring and keep their own pyx containing a gluten-free host – They can place it on the altar before the consecration. This allows them to maintain control of their host and ensures it has not come into contact with wheat or gluten.
5. Notify all visitors and newcomers about the GF/WF option and how they may partake

2. Children’s and Youth Programs

1. Ask for allergen information on program forms – Make sure to include allergen (and other medical) information in all registration forms.
2. Ask and keep track of how parents and caregivers wish to handle their child’s allergies – Do they trust you to find safe food, or do they wish to provide it?
3. Inform leaders about participants’ allergies – Notify all leaders about food allergies among the participants, and explain the importance of avoiding those foods.
4. Give parents and caregivers advance notice about programs with food – Always inform food allergen parents of any food-related activities 48 hours or more prior to the activity. Confirm that your choices are safe, and don’t be offended if they provide feedback or opt to handle it themselves. One allergen parent’s sense of safety does not guarantee that another parent will feel the same about the same product.

3. Art Supplies

Food allergens are not only limited to consumed foods. Many art supplies contain wheat, like playdough, paper mache, and glue. Those with nut allergies may also need to avoid nuts and seeds in art. Parents and caregivers may ask you to avoid these or find allergen-free alternatives.

4. Church-Wide Food Allergy Policy

A church food allergy policy can help with consistently addressing the risks of food allergies in your church. Some parts of an allergen policy may include:

Nut-Free Zone
Consider making your church a nut-free zone. Nut and peanut allergies are particularly common and particularly serious. Nut oils remain on surfaces for up to three days.  Avoiding nuts altogether is the safest and most inclusive way to welcome families affected by nut allergies. Ask all ministry partners that use your space to respect this policy.

Coffee Hour, Potlucks, and Community Meals
Ask participants to label the ingredients of their dishes. Separate out the allergen-safe dishes so that they are not at risk of being contaminated from shared serving spoons, accidental spills, and other situations.

Microwave
Keep and maintain a labeled allergen-free microwave for use for families with food allergies if they wish to enjoy a hot meal at a food event that cannot otherwise accommodate them.

Meal Trains
Always make sure to inquire about food allergens before bringing food. If a family has a food allergy, don’t be surprised if they turn down the offer of a food train. Only they know how severe their allergy is and if it is worth risking someone else bringing them food. Ask how best to support them instead.

Other Events
Evaluate all of your events. What percentage of your programming involves food? How important is food to that program? Consider ways to offer food-free events as well.

Bring Awareness
One barrier to families feeling fully included is how often others question the allergy or dismiss it. Help them by making the church more aware of allergies and the importance of being mindful of allergens.

Additional Resources

• Allergen-free art supplies at Discount School Supply – This website lists their allergens and sells a gluten-free/wheat-free playdough
• “Food Allergies in Schools,” CDC website (Jul. 9, 2024)
• “Managing Celiac Disease in Learning Environments,” Celiac Disease Foundation website
• “Safe Snack Guides,” Snack Safely website – Downloadable lists of safe snacks by allergen

Featured image is by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash