“It will be better than Gordon Ramsey’s!” The statement was definitive and expressed a level of confidence I would not usually extend to bulk garlic powder, dried parsley, onion salt, and plain butter. However, with the energy that can only come from 4th and 5th-grade workers, the ingredients combined into what became incredible garlic butter. Similarly, ingredients were layered to create trays of lasagna, and the cookie dough was measured to fill four cookie sheets with neat round balls, just waiting to be baked.
Last Sunday, our children prepared a meal for their neighbors. Over the past few years, we have had the opportunity to build a strong relationship with the Ardmore Food Pantry. We have collected food, students have gone to Saint Mary’s Church to sort and bag, and we have prayed for and talked about the work they are doing to make sure our neighbors have good food to eat. Last week, we stepped into a new dimension of our partnership—making a meal.
While the Ardmore Food Pantry provides groceries for neighbors facing food insecurity, Director Beth Tiewater recognized the compounding hunger for community and respite. On Monday nights, while clients wait, a simple meal is provided. As a church, we’ve committed to help support this emerging ministry by providing one meal a month. Our first two meals were successful. The food was well received, and it was powerful to see people connecting around tables, taking deep breaths at the end of a long day, and sharing a meal together.
Our students are already planning the next meal to serve on November 11. There’s a big push for brownies over cookies and a question: can we find a way to make fried chicken? With each idea shared, with every dish prepped, and with each piece of garlic bread, our students are living out their faith: Loving God and loving neighbor and pouring that love into everything they do.
Here are ways you can help!
Support On-Going Food Collections: In the education building, we focus on one food category a month. This month is canned veggies, beans, and fruit. Our goal is to collect 75 cans.
Help with one of the Meal Preps: Email
Come and hear from Beth Tiewater, Director of AFP, on Sunday, November 10, at 11:15 a.m. in the Fullerton Room.
Get Ready to Volunteer! Starting in February, this will be an opportunity open to the whole church. Be on the lookout for how to sign up and get involved.
