Coming March 22 to Schoolcraft United Methodist Church
Is your family hungry? Your body? Your mind? Your soul?
The Saturday Night 5:Alive Gathering at Schoolcraft United Methodist Church (SUMC) can help by feeding your body, mind, and your soul (or any one of the above) in a bright new way on the fourth Saturday of each month at 5 p.m. at the church in Schoolcraft. SUMC’s Saturday Night 5:Alive Gathering focuses around a community meal—for anyone, from anywhere…and their families—starting at 5 p.m. at the Church at 342 N. Grand St. in Schoolcraft. Music, videos, fun, comedy, wi-fi, coffee, dessert, and friendship, follow at 6 p.m. with live musicians and an ever-changing line-up of performers and speakers.
The Saturday night gathering is the work of one of the church’s small groups, which meets every Friday night. The group was looking for a new project and by December, what stood out the most to the small group was how many families relied on the weekly backpacks of food being distributed by Eagles Nest to get them through the week, and what they could do about it.
“As a result of our work with the Eagles Nest and, specifically, the Friday Backpack program, we’ve seen a real need for a bridge to get families with children through the weekend with healthful, nutritious meals. We want to help by providing one meal,” said one volunteer who wishes to remain anonymous.
“People should not have to go hungry in Schoolcraft when the United Methodist Church has so many great cooks,” joked another helper. “But seriously, we want to serve the most people we can and a free community dinner seems like just the ticket,” they said.
The meal is open to the community and free of charge to anyone and organizers hope they use every bit of food they prepare for the meal. “We don’t want to have any food left over,” says the group’s ‘head cook and bottle washer,’ “but if we do, it will be passed on to those in need in Schoolcraft.”
In addition to the monthly meal, the group’s projects include clothing, food, and diaper drives for the Eagle’s Nest ‘Adam’s Kids’, the popular Back-to-School Carnival, a weekly summer farmers’ market, a community garden located south of the church, and the “Doers Club”—a group which meets weekly to tackle a targeted community project-and they are always looking for new volunteers.
“There’s plenty for us to do and we’ll keep on “doing” as long as there are people to serve,” say the volunteers.
That’s what the group and the Saturday Night 5:Alive Gathering is all about…doing the job that needs to be done for as long as someone needs it done. To donate or volunteer, or for questions about the Saturday Night 5:Alive Gathering, contact the church at 269-679-4845 or just show up hungry on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m. The church is located at 342 N. Grand St. at the corner of Clay St. on US 131 (the church with the big red doors!).
Schoolcraft UMC…it’s not your granny’s church!