A Christmas Day dinner put on by members of Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Lacombe, Alberta, welcomed over 150 community members to share a meal and community together.
Travis Ebens pours 50 pounds of potatoes for the Lacombe Christmas dinner.
(Photo by Jeanne Ebens)
Cora Hoekstra, one of the main organizers of the event and a member of Bethel CRC said, “It’s a really good way to spend a day as a community. The people who come are very appreciative of having a place to go. They all come desiring community.”
The dinner was prepared the day before by one group from the church and served by another group. Members of the church also baked goodies and decorated the room to create a festive atmosphere. Hoekstra continued, “What a fabulous thing to be a part of a community that can do this and wants to do this!”
Different groups have put on the dinner over the past 15 years, but Bethel CRC has taken it over for the last five. The traditional turkey dinner is served free of charge. During dinner there were games and prizes wrapped by one of the Sunday school classes at the church.
Jeanne Ebens, another organizer of the event and member of Bethel CRC said, “It went really well; the food was excellent and everyone was thrilled. For lots of people Christmas can be a lonely time whether they have money to cook a Christmas dinner or not, and this dinner offers the opportunity to fellowship together.”
