Dreams finally came true in May of 2002 when the Worship Centre of the Wakefield Parish was declared open. At long last there was a dedicated kitchen which was able to cope with the various demands and challenges of parish life – even cooking the vicar’s Christmas dinner on one occasion after his infant daughter threw her bottle into the hot oven at the vicarage on Christmas Day!
A small team was formed to do just that, inspired by Marjorie and friends Pam Butler and Mary Stokes. The kitchen coped with catering for a diocesan quiz night, Synod and Alpha courses as well as the usual church shared lunches.
Over fifteen years, this ministry has changed and grown and there is a new core group of helpers. Today the church offers a community lunch every month, open to anyone who would like to come. We make an effort to welcome those in our community. There’s a core group of regulars who attend, and our elder care worker Nicola brings her group of seniors in the church van after their weekly “Exercise and Games”. Often extra meals are set aside and delivered to those who are unwell and cannot come, or frozen for a future need.
Our vicar welcomes the guests each month and we acknowledge recent birthdays or special events before grace. The tables are always set with tablecloths and a vase of flowers, and the meals are genuine home cooking and designed to be appealing to all ages. We use recipes everyone will recognise, like shepherd’s pie for the first course and sticky date pudding for dessert. Meals are served with juice or water to drink at table and tea or coffee later. We follow a seasonal menu and usually have a Mid-Winter Christmas theme as well as a special Christmas menu at the end of the year, for fun and festivity!
We see Marjorie's vision still in action today, and it extends far beyond the mere provision of food.
These lunches are more than just a mealtime, they offer a place of solace, support, and connection, reminding us all of the power of a simple meal to nourish not only our bodies but also our souls.
I want to acknowledge the support of everybody who makes this ministry special – the cooks who pour their love and culinary skills into each meal, the servers who greet each guest with warmth, and the diligent volunteers who tirelessly clean up afterwards.
Romans 12:7
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We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
Dreams finally came true in May of 2002 when the Worship Centre of the Wakefield Parish was declared open. At long last there was a dedicated kitchen which was able to cope with the various demands and challenges of parish life – even cooking the vicar’s Christmas dinner on one occasion after his infant daughter threw her bottle into the hot oven at the vicarage on Christmas Day!
A small team was formed to do just that, inspired by Marjorie and friends Pam Butler and Mary Stokes. The kitchen coped with catering for a diocesan quiz night, Synod and Alpha courses as well as the usual church shared lunches.
Over fifteen years, this ministry has changed and grown and there is a new core group of helpers. Today the church offers a community lunch every month, open to anyone who would like to come. We make an effort to welcome those in our community. There’s a core group of regulars who attend, and our elder care worker Nicola brings her group of seniors in the church van after their weekly “Exercise and Games”. Often extra meals are set aside and delivered to those who are unwell and cannot come, or frozen for a future need.
Our vicar welcomes the guests each month and we acknowledge recent birthdays or special events before grace. The tables are always set with tablecloths and a vase of flowers, and the meals are genuine home cooking and designed to be appealing to all ages. We use recipes everyone will recognise, like shepherd’s pie for the first course and sticky date pudding for dessert. Meals are served with juice or water to drink at table and tea or coffee later. We follow a seasonal menu and usually have a Mid-Winter Christmas theme as well as a special Christmas menu at the end of the year, for fun and festivity!
We see Marjorie's vision still in action today, and it extends far beyond the mere provision of food.
These lunches are more than just a mealtime, they offer a place of solace, support, and connection, reminding us all of the power of a simple meal to nourish not only our bodies but also our souls.
I want to acknowledge the support of everybody who makes this ministry special – the cooks who pour their love and culinary skills into each meal, the servers who greet each guest with warmth, and the diligent volunteers who tirelessly clean up afterwards.
Romans 12:7
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
