St. Andrew’s Christmas Inn a feast for all
It’s become one of Moose Jaw’s most beloved traditions, and undoubtedly one of the most appreciated at the same time.
Sure, the annual Christmas Inn dinner offered by St. Andrew’s Church might involve a lot of work from plenty of volunteers, but what it brings to the community is what makes it so valuable. So for 29 years, folks have been gathering for a turkey feast with all the trimmings on Christmas Day, with this year no exception.
“It warms my heart,” said St. Andrew’s minister Rev. Jim Tenford. “Christmas is one of those times that so many people find to be an absolute joy and celebration, but for others it’s a reminder that they’re alone and they maybe don’t have enough for a good meal to share with their families. “So whatever reason you find for wanting to join us in this community, we welcome it.” The event was originally the brainchild of longtime St. Andrew’s members Gerhard and Dicky Scholten, who decided to put together the Christmas Inn in the spirit of creating community celebration while offering a sense of unity and fellowship for anyone wanting to take part. “It’s folks like that who understand that Christianity is about helping those who need help,” Tenford said. “It was a great gift and I’m so glad we still have so many volunteers and folks around to put it on.”
Ah, the volunteers.
A dinner of that proportion doesn’t come into being without a whole lot of work from a whole lot of people. The cooking itself started Dec. 22, with the final stages of roasting the turkey itself starting at 10 a.m. on Christmas Day. By the time supper was served at 3:30 p.m., more than 100 people had arrived and lined up to enjoy the feast — one that took around 50 people to prepare, set up and clean up.
“It’s not just folks from St. Andrew’s, either,” Tenford said. “We get people from other churches and community groups, we have folks who have been coming here for years just to chip in and help out. It’s turned into a community supper.”
And it’s an event that the St. Andrew’s Community Outreach program has no intention of letting fall by the wayside. “As long as we can keep it going, we’ll keep it going,” Tenford said. “It’s one of our favourite events, the community enjoys it, and that’s exactly what we want to see.”