Lampeter United Methodist Church (LUMC), 1101 Village Road, Lancaster, recently introduced a new series of events to connect members of its congregation with their neighbors in the community. The church held its first Second Friday gathering on Jan. 12, and it will continue to host the free event on the second Friday of every month.
The first event began with a brief welcome and introduction, after which guests socialized with each other over pizza and snacks. The theme of the event was centered around tabletop games, and attendees were offered a selection of various board games to play for the rest of the evening. "It was really cool, groups of people mixed together," said Zachary Frantz of LUMC. "Church members and people out in the community were playing Pictionary together and just getting to know each other." A group of church members volunteered to bring their board games from home for guests to use for the evening.
Each Second Friday at LUMC will have its own theme, as well as new activities related to it. The next gathering, which will be trivia themed, will take place on Feb. 9 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event will include five trivia games throughout the church for families and groups of players to test their knowledge of a specific category, and each game of trivia will incorporate its own theme. Complimentary refreshments such as pizza, chips and beverages will be available, and the evening will include performances from local band Midst The Noise. The following Second Friday in March will be bingo themed, and LUMC has not yet announced the themes for April and May. To register for the event in February, visit http://tinyurl.com/LUMCsecondfriday.
During the opening remarks for each Second Friday, LUMC will highlight one of the Fruits of the Spirit. January's topic was patience, and February will incorporate a one- to two-minute discussion on love.
"LUMC is really trying to engage and grow with the community, which is the reason we started Second Fridays," Frantz said. "Anybody is welcome. It's not about the Bible; it's about getting people in and having conversations." In addition to hosting Second Friday, LUMC has connected with the community by making its space available for local groups such as local Girl Scouts.
One of LUMC's other community outreach initiatives is a free community meal that the church hosts on the first Wednesday of every month from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The meal on Feb. 7 will include chicken and waffles, peas, carrots, applesauce, desserts and drinks. LUMC also offers a youth program after each meal from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
For more information, visit http://www.lampeterumc.com.
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