Holy Smoke! Mount Calvary Lutheran BBQ Ministry – Reminiscing over a great year in 2019

Reflections:

Oh, the fellowship with team members, their commitment to this ministry, the joy of great food in the service to others – my reflections are difficult to distill down to a few words. Nonetheless:The mission is simple.The use of great BBQ to pull people together in Christ-centered community and fellowship.

We strive to get our guests to use a meal as a background to spend time with others. From February through November the Holy Smoke! Ministry team participated in 13 events. 2019 found us cooking for four outreach events, such as Families Moving Forward and Thursday Community Meals. Five events focused on Mount Calvary as a congregation including the Cribbage Tournament, Men’s Beer and BBQ, Palm Sunday Sabbath Luncheon, the 2020 fall preschool year kick-off and a post 5 pm worship service BBQ celebration. 

Three events focused on fundraising including the Get#Livin’ Music Festival and Rib Cook-off (their mission is to promote mental health awareness and suicide prevention), our second-annual fundraiser for Many Hands-Many Meals and finally a barbecue to assist our neighbors at Excelsior Congregational Church raise much-needed funds for their mission outreach. Finally, one event was a celebration of team members, a July all-team BBQ.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the participation of great team members, the support of a marvelous church body and the presence of the Holy Spirit for guidance. Blessings to all and again, thank you for your ongoing encouragement and support.

Vance Brandt