PAUPACK, Pa. — The ladies of Paupack United Methodist Church in Paupack are busy preparing for a feast.
That feast? A free chili dinner for their community.
“We're a small little church in a small little community. Especially with the pandemic happening, the people have really been hurting, and we thought what better way than to provide free meals,” said June Horton.
This is the first of many free meals that the church plans to do throughout the year. Area businesses are also chipping in.
“Olive Garden donated breadsticks, and the salad, Dutch's Market helped with food supplies, ground beef, tomatoes, kidney beans, etc. they help out with our food pantry as well,” said Horton.
This free chili dinner drive-thru couldn't have come at a better “time."
“This Sunday, May 2nd, will be the first time that the congregation is back in the pews on Sunday morning worship, since Mid-March 2020, so it's been 15 months since they've been back,” said Pastor Tony Schwartz.
Since the pandemic started, Pastor Tony Schwartz has recorded over 60 videos for his congregation.
The message for this Sunday's service is "Walking the Plank," which says a lot about where the church is now.
“It may be afraid to move forward, but you can't go back to the ship either. You can't turn around and walk backward. You can't stay on the plank forever. So which way do you go? We're looking to move forward,” said Schwartz.
And moving forward in worship or life is welcome to all of us - especially when there's free food involved.
The free drive-thru chili dinner is this Saturday, May 1, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.