Tantalizing smells, friendly chatter, and hundreds of smiling faces can only mean one thing: it’s Wednesday night at Colonial.
           
September 9th, hundreds of people flocked to church for the kickoff of fall 2009 Wednesday night ministries. For thirteen weeks this autumn, they will return weekly to eat, sing, pray, teach, fellowship, learn and serve.
           
Of all the opportunities available on Wednesdays, the Family Supper attracts the biggest crowd. Opening night, 517 people enjoyed an hour of fellowship over chicken, green beans, red potatoes, and homemade apple crisp. “It’s really fun,” said middle-schooler Ashley Jacobs, whose family has attended the suppers for more than a year. “I like eating with all my friends at church and not having to help clean up afterwards.”

A valiant kitchen crew and countless other volunteers make this blessing possible. “It takes a long time to get all the stuff you see done on Wednesdays,” said high school junior Brooke Fuller. Each week, Brooke, her three siblings, and several other teens attend to details like laying out placemats, filling salt and pepper shakers, opening massive packages of plates and cups, and arranging chairs. Brooke smiled as she flourished a handful of signs she was placing on tables: “We hope you are enjoying Wednesday night suppers at Colonial!”

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Jenny Forrest, Dottie Baird and the kitchen crew hurriedly completed dinner preparations. The ladies, who have served together since the Family Suppers debuted January 15, 2003, have tallied some impressive numbers. In six years, the Wednesday night kitchen crew has served 49,723 meals, peeled 3,000 pounds of potatoes, cooked 12,516 chicken breasts, and poured 4,500 gallons of sweet tea. Currently, twenty cans of green beans, 433 rolls, and twelve gallons of tea are served weekly to about 400 people.

“No doubt, it's hard work sometimes,” said Jenny, “but our joy comes in seeing people enjoy our food and the good fellowship.”

When the 517th plate was thrown away, the evening’s activities were just beginning. After dinner more than 700 people of all ages participate in more than twenty-five different classes across Colonial’s campus.

Adults attend Bible studies, Care Ministries workshops, and the Greenhouse class. The musically inclined serve in the Sounds of Praise Orchestra, the Celebration Choir, and the elementary school chorus: Hearts, Hands, and Voices. Students enjoy Aaron Miller’s High School Bible Study and Middle School Growth Groups, and the littlest ones learn and play in nursery classes. For many families, Wednesday evenings at Colonial provide a rare, yet priceless opportunity for everyone to learn and serve together.