The clatter of kitchen utensils, the sizzle of pots boiling, and the buzz of conversation fills the big blue house on Prairie Street. It’s Wednesday, and six Mennonite Voluntary Service participants in the Elkhart, Ind., unit, along with several neighbors and friends, are preparing a community meal. Starting in 2007, volunteers living in the home owned by Prairie Street Mennonite Church have set aside one night a week to share fellowship and food with neighbors, church members, friends from the community and family.

“Because many of us [MVSers] already have local connections, we wanted to draw our various communities together, and food always helps to bring people together,” said Sarah Thompson, an MVS participant who grew up in Elkhart.

The meals are open to anyone, and all participants are intentional about inviting new and old acquaintances. Each Wednesday sees a wide variety of people gathered to share an informal potluck.

“In God’s abundance, everyone has something to contribute. We don’t want people’s food insecurity to stop them from coming to the potluck, so what they can bring can be telling good stories or helping with dishes. Community meal defies scarcity because everyone is capable of sharing something,” said Thompson.

The table is always set with plenty of chairs, often more than needed, so that everyone feels welcome when they arrive. Meals start with a silent prayer and a round of introductions where each person answers a question about themselves. Questions may range from “What is your favorite food?” to “Who is your hero?”

The meals create bonds among neighbors and celebrate what God gives in the midst of a culture where scarcity and fear of others is pervasive.

“We approach meals with an attitude of abundance. We’re intentional about being welcoming. We never say, ‘We don’t know if there’s going to be enough food so just come next week and we’ll see.’ We’re always well provided for, and we try to celebrate any step that people make in our direction,” said Jason Shenk, MVS participant from Eighth Street Mennonite Church in Goshen, Ind.

Open hands

Paul Bertha, of Elkhart, met Thompson, Shenk and other MVSers through work with the local neighborhood association. Bertha has also been learning Spanish in a class Thompson teaches. Last summer, MVSers invited Bertha to a community meal. Since then, he’s attended several and even brought his daughter and son along.

At one meal, Bertha met an organizer of a recent peace walk in Elkhart. Through this connection, Bertha, his daughter and some friends were invited to perform a drama at the event. Bertha sees the meal not just as networking, but as a chance to share.

“I think a lot of times we hoard things as people. We have plenty and sometimes we’re apprehensive to open our hand to someone else, whether they be needy or not. What you usually find when you do give is that your fear might have been that you didn’t have enough,” Bertha said. ”Not only do you have enough, you have enough to share with others.”

Each week, the faces around the table change, but connections formed in the kitchen affect lives beyond the MVS house.

“When I know my neighbors and the people in my community, I feel safer. I think about how many times the Bible talks about hospitality to the stranger,” said Shenk. “We need to learn to see the face of God and the face of Jesus in our neighbors.”

Thompson agrees, “I really feel the Spirit when we’re sitting around a community meal. So many of these midweek meals re-center me and remind me of what the kingdom of God looks like, feels like, and how it moves.”