Working with local leaders, Zion Chapel Missionary Baptist Church wants to ensure the community is full of food and happiness.
On Saturday, Nov. 19, the church will host its annual Thanksgiving meal. Hot meals will be provided to any area residents in need.
“We’re just trying to serve the community again,” said First Lady Carol Spence.
The event will be similar to previous years with a drive-through lane to pick up meals. This is a safety measure to prevent too many people gathering inside the church.
Last year, about 700 people were fed, and church members expect about 1,000 this year.
“We do it because we want to reach the people in need,” Spence said. “We focus on homeless that are in the area. We don’t always get an opportunity because we don’t always get the word out, or they don’t come to us and let us know they are in need.”
In addition to the Thanksgiving meal, the church hosts a food pantry on Mondays from 10 a.m. to noon and 5 to 7 p.m.
“A lot of people don’t come to the areas where they can get the services that they need,” she said. “We are not always able to reach everyone. We try to get assistance from the council members and the mayor. There are a lot of people in need.”
Spence said it could be children or adults, and many people don’t take the opportunity to get the help offered.
“They figure it’s charity, but it’s a helping mechanism,” Spence said. “It’s not for us to learn anything about their family or anything like that. We just want to be a help in the community. We want to let them know the church is here.”
She said the church is not trying to get into people’s personal business, “We want to put Jesus in your life. Part of putting Jesus in your life is serving you from our establishment,” Spence explained.
This will be the 11th year the church has hosted the event and will have community leaders helping serve
again this year. “The mayor (Brandt Rydell), he knows everyone. He grew up in that community. He knows where there are neighborhoods that are in need. He knows his constituents,” Spence said.
She said Rydell will help direct the church to where there is a need.
“We get an opportunity to meet some of the people in the community, as well as serve them and give them what they need,” Spence said.
Taylor Police Chief Henry Fluck has also helped the church find areas in the community that need help.
“These people know them. They don’t know our faces. They haven’t visited our church,” Spence said. “It’s really nice to see, because you do have some public officials that really don’t know the people down to earth.”
Spence said church members want to let the community know the church is there for them.
“We have the opportunity to be servants for the Lord, and to share with them what it is that we get from being Christian leaders,” she said. “We just want to share it with them. We hope they will come and visit with us and allow us to incorporate Jesus in their lives.”
