2008 Woodie Awards
Church quells appetites with free holiday feast
Melissa Crowe
Issue date: 11/26/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE
Students not joining the traffic jams on Interstate 35 to go home for Thanksgiving still have an opportunity to eat turkey.
The Village Church on Oak Street is serving up its 22nd-annual Thanksgiving Day dinner for anyone not leaving Denton this holiday.
Grace Temple Baptist Church, the church that was there before The Village moved in, originally created the dinner for college students left to their dormitories during the holiday 22 years ago.
The dinner has evolved into a feast open to anyone who is stuck on campus, low on cash or simply hungry for a hot meal. The dinner starts at 11 a.m. Thursday and ends at 3 p.m.
"Now it is for anybody who needs to eat," said Carl Brower, event coordinator for the meal and director of preschool ministries at the church.
This is the first year the dinner will not be hosted in the church's gymnasium, however. Because of safety issues with the gymnasium's roof, The Village teamed up with Calhoun Middle School to have the dinner in the school's cafeteria on West Congress Street.
"It is an opportunity for us to reach out in our community," Brower said.
While the church has international missions in Africa, the Amazon, Guatemala and the Yucatan, Brower said it also focuses part of its mission projects on what members do locally in Denton's community.
"Yes, it is to provide a meal," he said. "But more importantly, it is to meet and build a relationship, just get to know the people in the community."
Brower said the church is preparing enough turkey - 150 turkeys, to be exact - green beans, rolls and pies for 2,000 people.
"If you're hungry, come on out," he said.
The event offers delivery, take-out and dine-in options. After teaming up with The Village's Highland Park congregation, Brower said it is possible this is one of Denton County's largest Thanksgiving dinners.
"It's certainly one of the biggest," he said.
He said there should not be any "intimidation factor" for solo attendees worried about a crowd.
The Village Church on Oak Street is serving up its 22nd-annual Thanksgiving Day dinner for anyone not leaving Denton this holiday.
Grace Temple Baptist Church, the church that was there before The Village moved in, originally created the dinner for college students left to their dormitories during the holiday 22 years ago.
The dinner has evolved into a feast open to anyone who is stuck on campus, low on cash or simply hungry for a hot meal. The dinner starts at 11 a.m. Thursday and ends at 3 p.m.
"Now it is for anybody who needs to eat," said Carl Brower, event coordinator for the meal and director of preschool ministries at the church.
This is the first year the dinner will not be hosted in the church's gymnasium, however. Because of safety issues with the gymnasium's roof, The Village teamed up with Calhoun Middle School to have the dinner in the school's cafeteria on West Congress Street.
"It is an opportunity for us to reach out in our community," Brower said.
While the church has international missions in Africa, the Amazon, Guatemala and the Yucatan, Brower said it also focuses part of its mission projects on what members do locally in Denton's community.
"Yes, it is to provide a meal," he said. "But more importantly, it is to meet and build a relationship, just get to know the people in the community."
Brower said the church is preparing enough turkey - 150 turkeys, to be exact - green beans, rolls and pies for 2,000 people.
"If you're hungry, come on out," he said.
The event offers delivery, take-out and dine-in options. After teaming up with The Village's Highland Park congregation, Brower said it is possible this is one of Denton County's largest Thanksgiving dinners.
"It's certainly one of the biggest," he said.
He said there should not be any "intimidation factor" for solo attendees worried about a crowd.
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