stories

 This was written by Bill Myers, the person I am standing with at the General Assembly:

Celebrating Small Churches

For too long, many congregations have been measured by size rather than faithfulness. Some of you were told you were too small, too old, too remote, or too fragile to survive. Yet, you are still here.

You are serving your neighbors, sharing Christ's love, and helping your communities flourish. Barbara Barkley and I are committed to helping tell these stories—stories from small congregations, congregations of color, immigrant congregations, First Nation congregations, LGBTQIA+ congregations, rural congregations, and other communities whose witness is helping shape the church's future. Today, we share one of those stories. This is a long one, so I’ll be sharing it in three parts. To date, they have served over 37,000 meals!

Saturday of Service (SOS) – Part 1

Saturday of Service (SOS) has been providing free meals to our community since the fall of 2020. The ministry began during the pandemic as a way to bring the church together in service when we could not gather in the usual ways. Wearing masks and working carefully, volunteers prepared meals inside the church and served them to people waiting in vehicles outside. About 100 meals were distributed that first day. We learned a lot. Chief among those lessons: if we ever did this again, everyone would receive the same meal.

Encouraged by the response, we began reaching out to low-income housing and assisted living facilities. It quickly became clear that seniors, people with disabilities, and those with limited incomes could benefit from this safe and convenient service. Volunteers prepared meals at the church, loaded delivery vehicles, and traveled to residential sites throughout the area. We also continued the drive-thru option for anyone able to come to the church. Within six months, we were serving approximately 150 meals each month.

Soon we realized there were people living in individual homes who could use a meal but lacked transportation. They were added to delivery routes, and by the end of 2021, our holiday meal reached 419 people.

Not everyone was convinced. Questions were raised about cost, sustainability, staffing, and whether the ministry was meeting a genuine need. Yet those conversations helped many of us discover the deeper purpose of SOS: providing an opportunity to live the Gospel by serving Christ through serving others. What began as a practical response to a crisis increasingly felt like a clear call from God.

As the ministry grew, so did the challenges. Although we had a commercial kitchen, we lacked much of the equipment needed to support a large-scale operation. Food was stored in freezers and refrigerators throughout the community until grants enabled us to purchase a commercial upright freezer. Donations and fundraising helped us acquire additional equipment, including a commercial stove and fire suppression system.

SOS has also remained committed to environmental stewardship. We use biodegradable food containers and bags rather than Styrofoam or plastic whenever possible, and we recycle cardboard, plastic, and aluminum generated through meal preparation and distribution.

One Saturday remains especially memorable. On November 18, 2023, after the last meal had been distributed, I stepped outside and found myself in tears—tears of gratitude, joy, and amazement at what God had done. That day, 945 meals were served. Vehicles stretched far down Brush Road, and many people waited nearly an hour. Yet no one complained. They were simply grateful.

The following year, we improved traffic flow and partnered with the Lewisburg Fire Department, which provided a mobile electronic sign to help manage congestion. In November 2024, SOS served 1,263 Thanksgiving meals, followed by 963 Christmas meals the next month.

For a congregation averaging about 25 worshipers each Sunday, such growth would have been impossible alone. Volunteers soon arrived from throughout the community—family and friends, neighboring churches, 4-H clubs, WVSOM students, members of the Greenbrier Valley-Alderson Quilt Guild, and people who simply heard about the ministry and wanted to help. Some showed up unexpectedly and became regular volunteers. Others stopped to direct traffic or lend a hand for a few hours.

As SOS continues to grow, so does the need for volunteers, resources, and financial support. What began as a small pandemic project has become a community-wide ministry, demonstrating what can happen when people answer God's call to serve.