Christmas dinner at St. Stephen’s Lutheran open to all

It always looks so lovely in commercials and magazines: Dad carves a perfectly cooked turkey while well-dressed children politely pass the potatoes and Mom stands ready with gravy and a smile.

But the reality is that for some, Christmas dinner is a luxury beyond their budget. Others may face a table set for just one.

And then some people just don’t have the time, ability or circumstances that would allow for all the preparation that goes into making that perfect holiday meal. (After all, I’m pretty sure Mary wasn’t in any position to cook for visiting shepherds, let alone Joseph, after giving birth to Jesus.)

For all these people, and for anyone else who would like to join them, St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church is hosting its third annual community Christmas dinner from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dec. 25. The meal will be served in the church’s fellowship building, at 4400 St. Stephen’s Church Road, off N.C. 49, near Gold Hill.

Joy Pinto is once again the driving force behind the Christmas dinner. She said they’ll be serving a traditional meal – turkey with all the trimmings and dessert – to anybody who wants to come by. There is no charge.

Pinto pointed out that there are lots of reasons why someone might not want to have Christmas dinner at home this year, and she hopes that anyone with any reason at all will join her and her host of volunteers Christmas Day.

One of those volunteers will be Carol Brown, a student at Appalachian State who grew up in the Rockwell area. She started attending St. Stephen’s Lutheran when her piano-teacher mother received a phone call from the church looking for an accompanist for their services. Brown, who said it was understood that she would take piano lessons as a child, started filling in for the church’s ailing organist and now plays there once a month.

Last year Brown heard about the community Christmas dinner and volunteered to help in the kitchen. She had a wonderful time cooking and serving and working with the other volunteers.

“There were all different types of people, from different walks of life,” Brown said, and all of them were exceedingly grateful for the opportunity to enjoy a terrific meal.

This year she will have a different job at the dinner. At the request of Pinto, Brown will play a variety of Christmas hymns and carols on the piano while diners enjoy their meal. And she’s hoping that a sing-along might break out, folks joining together in song and fellowship.

Fellowship really is the point of this Christmas dinner: people coming together to provide hospitality and community to one another.

No reservations are necessary for the dinner, but if you’d like more information, contact Joy Pinto at 704-668-6638.