Feeding the forgotten
Churches gear up for Thanksgiving feasts
By Annette Bender
It's Sunday morning, about 2-1/2 weeks before the big day, and Meadowview United Methodist Church is planning its first community Thanksgiving dinner.
“Who will supply 10 quarts of cranberry relish?” “Should the servers wear nametags?” “If we have guests on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, how will we make sure to welcome them?”
All over Holston, churches are planning to use Thanksgiving as a way to connect with the community.
Preparations begin weeks before the Nov. 27 holiday and require a massive volunteer effort. For many congregations, the goal is to reach out to people who might not otherwise dine on turkey and dressing.
Meadowview, for instance, is linking with area churches as well as Crossroads Medical Mission to invite people who are “shut-in, lonely or needy,” according to the Rev. Katye Fox. For those who can't attend, church members will deliver dinners. The Abingdon District congregation has dreamed of hosting the meal for years, Fox said.
At a meeting in the fellowship hall on Nov. 9, about 25 Meadowview members gathered to smooth out some of the details. The upbeat crowd made lists and discussed table decorations, potato peeling, chafing dishes and greeting teams for more than an hour.
“We still need a lot of prayers, elbow grease and work, but we know we've got all that,” parishioner Randy Pennington told fellow volunteers. “If we feed one person or 300, then the job will be complete.” While Meadowview tackles its first dinner, Colonial Heights UMC of Knoxville District is in its fourth year of inviting neighbors to share a Thanksgiving meal.
“We target low-income neighborhoods, housing projects and people who have no families to spend the day with,” reports the Rev. Robert Countiss. Along with helpers from nearby Hillcrest UMC and Seymour UMC, Colonial Heights members not only prepare and serve the meal, but also “engage our guests in fellowship.” “This meal has been a wonderful vision given to this church as a means of connecting with our community and sharing the love of God,” Countiss said.
At Wesley Memorial UMC in Chattanooga District, Alicia Ann Lloyd is leading plans for the church's first Thanksgiving dinner, according to the Rev. Dale Gilbert. “We have invited women and children from a shelter and other people who would otherwise be alone on Thanksgiving,” Gilbert says. “What we had not anticipated, however, is that many ‘intact' families are wanting to participate in that day.” St. Luke UMC in Abingdon District is serving its third Thanksgiving community dinner in a row, according to the Rev. Rich Mullan. The first year, they fed 100; last year, 150. The congregation expects 200 at this year's free dinner.
Meanwhile, First Bristol UMC in Abingdon District is planning what Mary Minnick calls a “turnaround dinner.” In April 2003, The Call reported on First Bristol's “Samaritan Fund,” which provides mandatory life-skills classes (cooking, gardening, computers) to people receiving financial assistance from the church for utility bills or groceries.
Last Thanksgiving, parishioners provided a turkey dinner for the 75 or so people participating in Samaritan Fund classes, says Minnick, the program's director. This Thanksgiving, class members are returning the favor by cooking dinner for church members – “for the people who have taught the classes, babysat the children and provided help and support for them,” Minnick says. Class members also prepared thank-you notes for church members, and “everyone will exchange recipes.”
Other churches will celebrate the November holiday in other ways. Sulphur Springs UMC in Johnson City District will join with Sulphur Springs Baptist Church for a Thanksgiving service and meal on Nov. 30, reports the Rev. Jonathan Jonas. “We also plan to include a significant fund-raiser for Sulphur Springs United Methodist Church of the Morristown District in our observation of Thanksgiving this year,” said Jonas, referring to the identically named church damaged by fire last summer.
Cokesbury UMC in Knoxville District has its seventh annual Thanksgiving service on Nov. 20, including traditional Appalachian music by the chancel choir and bluegrass from The Cluster Pluckers band. TV's Bill Landry is guest host and “an offering will be taken for the Love Kitchen of Knoxville,” reports the Rev. Rebekah Fetzer.
Cokesbury also provided more than 100 Thanksgiving baskets for families at Wesley House Community Center this season, Fetzer said. On Thanksgiving Day, Cokesbury's “Celebrate Recovery” ministry will have a special 7 p.m. worship followed by a meal.
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