Brownsville
And it’s in this vein that the church is bringing back its community dinners.
“Our goal is not to gain revenue, but to bring community together around a meal,” said the Rev. Christian Huebner, the church’s pastor. The first, a potluck barbecue, will be held on July 30, at 5 p.m., after a free concert at 4 p.m. The dinners will start back up officially in the fall.
Linda Ley, co-chair of the church’s outreach, mission and fellowship committee along with Ann Matthews, and her husband, Bill, are organizing the barbecue. The church will provide hot dogs, hamburgers, rolls, condiments, beverages and chips. Attendees are asked to bring a favorite salad or dessert. There is no cost, but donations will be accepted.
“That’s sort of the kickoff of the community dinners,” Linda Ley said.
The church used to hold roast beef suppers once a month during the fall, winter and spring.
“The cost of the dinners had become expensive,” Linda Ley said.
The monthly dinners were on hiatus for about six years and were missed by more than church members. “They were really popular and folks in the community had been asking about them,” Huebner said.
One way the dinners will change is that the responsibilities for each meal will rotate among different groups. Initially, the dinners will be on a quarterly schedule. There will be a modest admission fee “just to cover the cost of food,” Huebner said.
The meals will also serve as a fundraiser for the Reading-West Windsor food shelf.
“As our towns change, there are more and more needy families in West Windsor and Reading,” Huebner said. In addition to a full dinner, participants will also find fellowship. “It’s going to be a good thing for folks.”
In his three years with the church, Huebner has seen the congregation grow from about 25 to an average of 60 who come to service on Sundays. “It’s a wonderful, close-knit community for sure,” he said. “People seem to pay attention to and care for one another.”
It’s that spirit that the dinners will celebrate. “We’re looking forward to it,” Linda Ley said.
The community is, too.
Editor’s note: For more information about the dinners or to volunteer, contact Linda Ley at 802-484-3200. Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
