Community members can come together each Sunday for a meal at a Fayetteville church.
Sunday Suppers will be offered starting March 3 at Trinity United Methodist Church. These were previously called Mama Dean’s and occurred the third Sunday of the month at the church, said Pastor Terry Gosnell of Trinity United Methodist Church. Other churches have expressed interest in helping with the event, so it will now be a weekly meal.
Gosnell said he first started the community meal after attending a preaching conference a few years ago. The speaker talked about embodying what Jesus embodied by being with the poor, the down and out, the widow and the orphan, he said. He shared this with his church and visited with Mama Dean of Mama Dean’s Soul Food Kitchen in Fayetteville to ask if she would help in developing a community meal.
Gosnell noted the meal is “not a soup kitchen.” It is a community event and everyone is invited. Its purpose is to break “down all socioeconomic barriers.” Gosnell said John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, believed “we are to be a community of the poor and not for or to the poor.”
Gosnell said they had dreams about wanting to expand the meal but didn’t know if they could. Other churches becoming involved gave them the opportunity to do this, he said.
The First United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville undertook a study about a year ago on hunger and nutrition issues in Northwest Arkansas, and during the study, the members found out about the meal at Trinity, said Leslie Belden, parish associate of the Presbyterian church.Youth members went to the church to help one Sunday, which began the efforts to work with Trinity and other congregations to make this an every Sunday meal. The meal is not only about feeding the hungry, she said. In a Feb. 18 email she said the community meal is designed for all to “gather around God’s table to eat and fellowship regardless of economic status, race, religion or any other division that may ordinarily divide us.”
Other Fayetteville churches involved are Mount Comfort Presbyterian Church, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Korean United Methodist congregation, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and First Christian Church.
Belden said the churches will rotate Sundays on providing the buffet-style meal, serving and cleaning up.
First United Presbyterian Church is providing the meal for the first Sunday of each month and Mount Comfort Presbyterian will help out.
Chili is on the menu for the first meal March 3, she said.
First United Presbyterian Church will use a couple of sources for food, one of which will be Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, she said.
Gosnell said Tri-Cycle Farms, a community garden across the street from Trinity United Methodist Church, will provide fresh vegetables for the mealswhen they are in season. The church also has partnerships for the meals with groups such as Seeds That Feed and Feed Fayetteville. Gosnell said Feed Fayetteville will provide meat occasionally and help when needed. Other organizations involved include Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Ozark Natural Foods and the Fayetteville Farmer’s Market, Belden said.
Belden suggested the new name Sunday Suppers because growing up her family called the lunch meal “dinner” and the evening meal “supper.” She said this meal is an opportunity for people to get together around a table for a casual supper.
Musical entertainment also will be provided at each event. Belden said St. James Missionary Baptist Church will help with entertainment on some Sundays.
“We are excited that we can help create more community in this part of Fayetteville,” Gosnell said.
He added he is excited to work together with other churches, noting the mealis not just about religion and really is a community eff ort.
Belden said she is looking forward to being part of the community. She added the side benefits of the meal are that everyone will likely grow in their faith and commitment.
She also said this meal will help put more sustainable practices in place. They will be using dishware and cloth napkins, and she believes these good practices will be reinforced.
Gosnell said he hopes these meals will break down the walls people build up in their weekly lives.
Through these meals, they can come together as a community and not only address food insecurity but broaden their relationships, he said.
“It’s not just about serving people. It’s also about being in relationship and getting to know the people that are coming to these meals,” he said.
“The purpose for this is to have community, to deepen our faith and to connect with another human being.”
Religion, Pages 6 on 02/23/2013