Do you remember gathering in the fall at the Tinius house and gardens for a meal? Many in the congregation remember those days of cutting up potatoes to add to the Brunswick stew, bringing a side or dessert to share. And the whole church was invited! The generosity and wonderful giving and loving hearts of Richard and Jimmie Tinius that began a tradition of inviting the congregation to their home was a treat each fall and one we all looked forward to every year.
It’s been a few years since we have been able to enjoy a meal on a Saturday afternoon in October at the Tinius house. Life happens and things change. I decided to accept the baton and create a version of Fall Fellowship at the church. It would not feel the same for me and others if Brunswick Stew was not included in the menu, so I bought some stew locally and brought it to the meal. (I shared with Jimmie Tinius that I had to have Brunswick stew even if it wasn’t her recipe.) I made a point of making a reference to the Brunswick stew to many, and our church traditions live on. Our smiles I think lit up the whole room, the meal was enjoyed and the tradition lives on.
There may be a time when we can make Brunswick stew here at the church and everyone can help with the stew. If you know the story of Stone Soup then you know where I am going with this thought. The story is about a community who gather together to make a soup; each one contributing to the soup to be shared with everyone. I think this would be fun to do some day. I have the recipe to make the authentic Jimmie and Richard Tinius Brunswick Stew. Thank you, Richard and Jimmie Tinius, for the years and years of enjoyment and good friendships. It was wonderful how you brought our church community together.
Saturday, October 1st brought many weather changes, but as the day unfolded the blue skies were evident and it was a beautiful day. Many began arriving at different times to set up the tables and chairs, others were there to meal prep with roasted chicken, salads, and desserts.
Later on, a former minister from NPC, Jerry Brinegar, stopped by to see his church and shared stories with us. We had a delightful visit and I made sure to send him home with a picnic meal since he could not stay until 4:00. He was impressed with the changes to NPC and was thankful his picture was no longer hanging on the wall. He says hello to all of you that attended church from 1981-1988. He has many stories to tell, and I believe we will be calling him soon to get more information of those times at our church and in our community. Of course, in his picnic dinner we included a piece of the cake from our celebration of paying off the debt.
The clock was ticking and getting closer to 4:00 and people were bringing more and more sides and we were making more and more room on the counter. Everything looked spectacular!
People started gathering and were busy talking, but as they looked at the counter, they became more and more hungry anticipating a wonderful meal. Teresa said grace and directed the group to the start of the line. We all filled up our plates and came back for more. Someone said no one is eating the desserts and I said they will. After a while people were either eating the squash for dessert, the Brunswick stew, or the many desserts on another table. Fall fellowship was a huge success and will be repeated, but we will all have to wait for the treat until next year.
On Sunday, October 2, Fall Fellowship continued. There were a lot of leftovers to share from the day before. New items were added, but not too many. There were smiles, great conversations, and happy tummies from the wonderful meal. A fun event and another beautiful day. Thank you all who volunteered and gave your time on Saturday and Sunday with making a side, a meal prep, setting up and clean up.
Both Saturday, October 1st and Sunday, October 2nd were Fellowship Fundraiser events. Thank you all who donated.
We are in the planning stages for our next Fellowship events in November. Be on the look out for announcements on Sundays, notifications in the bulletin, or on the NPC website for these events. Below is a gallery of photos from the Fall Fellowship. If you click on each photo it will open up the large file for your enjoyment.
