Hundreds flock to mega community event

Aberfoyle Park's mega Longest Lutheran Lunch barbecue, held on their school's oval, attracted a whopping 450 eager sausage sizzlers!

There was a good mix of people from the school, church and general communities, who munched their way through a free barbecue lunch while being entertained by a lively band and watching the children bouncing on the jumping castle and joining in games led by Our Saviour volunteers.

Members of the Our Saviour congregation were very intentional in making the Longest Luthern Lunch a community-friendly event. Community evangelist Peter Zilm said, 'We didn't want to give people the message, "The real reason we invited you here is to get you to church”. We did want to give them the message, "We want you to feel loved and included in a Christian community”.

This was the thrid community 'Connect' event that the Our Saviour congregation has run this year. Their outreach events deliberately take place outside of the church. Peter explains, 'This provides a non- threatening environment for people who would otherwise not consider coming to a church event, makes it easier for members to invite friends, and provides an opportunity outside of Sunday worship to connect with people ... The emphasis is to establish relationships so we can witness to these people in some way.

'We made up display boards that advertised upcoming events, and also activities that take place in the church, and many people stopped to read them. But we did not advertise church services, anad nothing was handed out.'

'We are blessed to have a primary school as an outreach of the church', Peter said. 'Current  figures report a majority of non-church-going families now at the school, with that figure growing each year.'

Our Saviour members promoted the lunch through flyers in school newsletters and banners outside the school. They pounded the pavements making letterbox drops, with a focus on homes in the immediate vicinity of the church. And they also handed out invitations at local shopping centres and in the streets of church members. Church members where encouraged to invite others: neighbours, friends and workmates.

'Our purpose is not to be entertaining Christians', Peter said. 'Rather, we are to invite non-Christians to grow through relationships.'

Comments from happy lunchers included: 'We love this community feel', 'You don’t find this elsewhere', and 'When is the next one?'

There are reports that some school families invited multiple families to the event.

Peter lists some of the 'good news' stories emanating from the Longest Lutheran Lunch:

• A family that came to our first event, Eat, Drink & Be Merry, were so impressed with the friendliness of that event that they decided to enrol their daughter at the school. They also responded to a flyer in their letterbox and invited several other families to join them at the Longest Lutheran Lunch barbecue. A person in our church recognised them and told them about the Storytime, Mini Monets and Playgroup activities that are run by the school and church.
• Friends of a church family have been invited to these events and have decided to enrol their child at the school next year. They do not go to church, but the door is now open to future possibilities.
• A lady bought her grandson to the barbecue after seeing the banner on the fence. She enjoyed the day and asked about Sunday school and church services.
• A young girl came with her family after receiving an invitation at her kindy. She knew one of the girls from our church who will also be starting school at Our Saviour next year.
• One of our youth invited a good friend to church in the morning; he declined the offer. He invited him to the barbecue, which he accepted. They had a great time, and when it was mentioned that the band at the barbecue was also playing at the outdoors evening worship, he decided to go. It was the first time this person has experienced Christian worship. He is now considering coming again.
• One of our school teachers was talking with some mums in the queue for the jumping castle. They said they were not yet looking for a school for their toddlers, but loved the community feel of the day and were really interested in our school.

Read all the Longest Lutheran Lunch stories.