FROM SERVICE TO SERVING

Cherylyn Radford, Bowridge Associate Pastor

In April of this year the Bowridge congregation, feeling called and compelled by the Holy Spirit to try something new, transitioned from a long-standing Saturday night service to a new Saturday night format. One of the elements was a monthly dinner for Greenwood Village residents as well as others in the community.

We want to let you, our church family, know how that has been going. We debuted on May 4 with a great deal of uncertainty. Who would come? How would it be received? What might happen?

Our first dinner had 11 visitors. We had prepared food for nearly 200. We were able to send those 11 home with lots of leftovers and then fill the freezers of people in our community and a local social agency. The next month our numbers more than tripled with 38 guests. We just had our fourth dinner on August 3 and we served 55 guests! It just keeps growing. We will actually have to set up more tables next month, as we very nearly ran out of table space. This is a very good problem to have.

One common theme to our dinners is God’s provision. God provided us with a volunteer chef. We have a talented chef who gives up two weekends a month to not only cook for our monthly dinner, but to cook and package nearly 200 meals a month to be delivered to Trellis (a social agency in Bowness).

God has provided us with an abundance of food. Over 95% of our food is donated. We are able to feed so many for almost no cost to RockPointe except in volunteer labour. Most of this food would otherwise end up in the landfill. We are so grateful for it.

God has provided us with volunteers. Over 30 people volunteer once a month at our dinners and there are nearly 20 additional volunteers who put in time in the kitchen preparing, packing, and distributing the meals to Trellis and those facing food insecurity in our community.

An additional provision is we are now starting to see several of our Saturday night guests join us Sunday mornings as well. God is building his church and we are so excited to be a part of it.

The first Saturday of every month at Bowridge is full of laughter and conversation. Every table has a Bowridge host and many are starting to build relationships and friendships with the people at their tables. This month, almost everyone lingered and lingered over tiramisu and coffee. This type A pastor was beginning to wonder if she was going to have to kick people out so we could eventually set up for Sunday service. Thankfully she did not, but instead just got to rejoice in what God is doing at Bowridge.

We are continuing to trust God for additional provision. We really need a second lead cook. Someone with experience in running a kitchen and preparing up to 200 meals at a time. Ideally they would run the kitchen one weekend a month. All food, recipes, and menus are provided. Would you pray with us for an additional chef? If this is something that interests you, would you please reach out to me at [email protected]?

We would also ask you to continue to pray for the food ministries at Bowridge. Pray for God’s continued provision. Pray God’s blessing over the guests who come to the dinner and the families who receive our frozen meals each month. Pray for our volunteers, that they would not grow tired of doing what is good and that God would continue to provide us with all the volunteers we need. And finally praise God with us for all he is doing here at Bowridge.