The Young at Heart services at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Bonduel held a special service and dinner on Wednesday, Nov. 19. There is always a meal after services, but on Nov. 19, in an effort to get more people to the service, the church followed up with a turkey dinner and fellowship.
“We called people and sent letters and postcards,” said Sandy Staszak, who helped Amber McCann, organizer for the special event.
The service and meal that started in the 1980s is held on the third Wednesday each month. Pastor Mark Palmer, who has been at the church for five years, said something similar was done at his previous church.
“It ended up being all that we were hoping it could be,” Palmer said.
Normally the service is held in the Gethsemane room, but over 100 people attended the event that was held in the church. Pastor Palmer gives a somewhat abbreviated service and Communion is brought to those who can’t come to the altar.
The dinner also included dressing, squash, cranberries, and pumpkin desserts which was prepared by the St. Paul Ladies Aid. Palmer gave kudos to the 10 ladies who gave of their time to make the meal.
“It‘s a festive occasion,” Palmer said. “A lot of the people have a tremendous amount of history with each other and the church. They appreciated being able to interact with people they haven’t seen for some time.”
Anyone can attend the service which usually draws around 35 people. The other months also include a meal of meat, potatoes, vegetables, cake, and ice cream. The cake and ice cream started when they began recognizing monthly birthdays and anniversaries.
Some of those who attended got there on their own while others were brought and helped by family members. The church’s oldest member, Dorothea Stern, 97, usually drives herself if the weather is good.
Nine members who attended the special event were 90 and over. A microphone was passed around for people to share memories.
“They really liked it and hoped we could do it again next year,” Staszak said.
A new program through Thrivent Financial provided $250 for the occasion.
“It was a unique outing,” Palmer said.
For more information, call the church at 715-758-8559.
Categories
