If you have ever been to a Wednesday night meal at Swift Creek, you know that the set-up, meal, drinks, and desserts did not just magically appear. You may have never taken a minute to think about what it takes to pull-off a mid week meal or gotten to know the people who faithfully serve you each week.
If you’re anything like me, you come to church as a refuge from a hectic day—grateful for a break surrounded by people you know who will encourage you and love you; and at the bare minimum, you are excited to eat food you did nothing to prepare. Wednesday nights are essential to building lasting relationships within the church body. We miss out on cross-generational community and the strengthening of relationships when we fail to meet with each other throughout the week.
Great memories and great conversation happen around food, and that is why I believe it is imperative to highlight Swift Creek’s Food Service Lead, Candace Chesher, and her tireless team: Tammy McGowan, Susanah Anderson, Trace Anderson, Anita Dupont, and Kristin Geyer.
Left to Right: Tammy McGowan, Candace Chesher, Anita Dupont, Susanah Anderson
Candace and her husband, Steve, have been attending SCBC for roughly 19 years. They have two children: Colton (13) and Kailey (19). Though Candace has called Swift Creek home for many years, it wasn’t until 4 years ago that she started serving the church body through food service.
Although her days are long, she absolutely delights in her job. She starts prepping the kitchen at 10:30am and she and her team work nonstop until 7:30pm. Her favorite moments while serving alongside her Food Service team are the opportunities to fellowship while working, training and teaching her team new culinary skills, and learning new techniques herself.
Even though the church is on a set Wednesday night 4-meal rotation each month, she really gets to practice her skills and utilize her creative energy at other church functions. Candace designs and creates the menus for the Women’s Tea, men’s ministry events, church breakfasts, and each month for Young at Heart.
Candace truly treasures seeing the church body mingle amongst each other outside of a typical Sunday and loves seeing church members form relationships with other members who may not be a part of their Connect Groups or even in the same generation. One of her favorite work days is when she is serving meals because of the overwhelming gratitude her team is shown.
Whether it is a Wednesday night or a special church function, Candace is ready to serve up creative and delicious food. You can count on her to greet you with a smile, ready to give you a second helping.
Make it a priority to be with your church family each Wednesday night for encouragement, fellowship, spiritual growth, and scrumptious food! And be sure to thank Candace and her team for their outstanding service to the church body each week.
*If you are interested in serving alongside the Food Service team for a special event, please contact the event’s coordinator.
*Wednesday Night dinners are from 4:45-6pm.
About the Author: Renee is the wife of Student Pastor, Mark Young. They have two children, Ezra (2) and Piper (1). She enjoys reading and doing anything outside. She consumes too much coffee and is eager to talk to anyone. Renee can be reached at renee.markyoung@gmail.com