203 South Main Street
Stanley, NC 28164
Food Pantry Every Thursday from 11:00am to 12:30pmThe
Christians offer table prayer before they eat their food at mealtime. Two of the most popular prayers are:
“Come Lord Jesus, be our guest, let these gifts to us be blessed. Amen.”
“Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts which we have received from Thy bounty through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
While people’s work most often provides the funds for food, God’s continual blessings have created the earth, soil, sun and rain for farmers, truckers, grocers and cooks to use for our bodily growth and strength. Our work is God’s gift and it is he who gives all food and fills the hungry with good things.
When money is not there, the fruits of the earth must often come, at least in part through the giving hearts of those followers of Jesus. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. Acts of the Apostles 2.45.
God blesses us and fills all our hunger and not only the hunger for daily bread that eases an aching, hungering belly, but God, in his mercy, wants to fill the hunger that all people have for him– the hunger of the soul. When we arrive at the ultimate starvation of life, which is death, we want the Lord to fill us with his redeemed and risen life which will only be done in and through Jesus Christ. John 14.6 God always calls us into a community, there is not such thing as an individual Christian. Every time Jesus said, “Follow me”, it was always calling a weary soul into the community of believers. No community of believers is perfect, we will argue and disagree, and yet Jesus still loves us and calls us into this community that he feeds with even his own life.
If you have no church home, we would be blessed by your presence with us in worship, prayer and song gathered around our Risen Lord at 10:30 on Sunday mornings or at Bible Study led by our Pastor at 9:15. If you do have a church family, then do not neglect to give your gratitude and worship there. “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10.24 Amen. Come Lord Jesus!
Food Pantry Prayer
Thank you Lord our heavenly Father, for the love that provides these fresh or canned, packaged or boxed forms of your love that, together with all your blessings, keeps us alive from day to day. Lead us to love you more deeply for the Living Bread that is your Son, Jesus who sustains and strengthens us to receive with thanks, to give ourselves and of what we have no matter how large or small, in joy as we await, living as your children, your heavenly banquet and feast. Amen.
CELC works in partnership with other Stanley churches to provide weekend backpack meals to hungry kids in Stanley. Together we provide enough weekend meals to satisfy the needs of all the families asking for this assistance at Kiser and Springfield Elementary and Stanley Middle Schools.