by Dave Campbell

Listen to the stories of the powerless, tell them to the powerful - change the world.

Last month my wife Debbie and I heard David O Relin, co-author of Three Cups of Tea, recommend listening to stories of the powerless and telling them to the powerful. That reminded me of what happens at WND. Our friend Steve, a SPU student from Taiwan and a tireless WND volunteer, told us he loved to "hear different stories from my friends every week. People are my book." Steve's life was changed by the relationships he formed at church (through WND).

Every Wednesday, from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm, there are about 200 neighbors from our community with interesting stories to share. With the help of around 30 incredible volunteers, we serve delicious home cooked dinners to our guests, and share fellowship around the table by listening to each other's stories.

Many of us at Bethany have been blessed with knowledge of resources, programs or people that might be beneficial to our WND guests. But perhaps the biggest changes take place in the hearts of the servers and listeners. Why not see what surprising outcomes God can orchestrate by bringing your listening ears to join the WND community?

Family night is the first Wednesday of every month.

Last fall we announced the idea of inviting families to come to WND to broaden the fellowship between our Bethany congregation and our WND guests. The idea came from the positive experiences of last summer when Families in Service folks participated in all aspects of the dinners. We will try to give you a position in the service line (note that kids under 12 must have an adult with them in the service line), and we will guarantee you a memorable evening. Plan to arrive about 5:35 pm and stay until 7:15 pm.

Are the poor among you?

Mark Roberts asks this question in his "High Calling Daily Reflection" column:

“... I wonder if Jesus intended more in Mark 14:7 ('You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want. But you will not always have me.') than simply to acknowledge that the poor would be 'hanging around' in need of help. His statement suggests a community in which the poor are welcomed, not only as recipients of charity, but as brothers and sisters."

This is one of the major objectives of the Wednesday Night Dinner - establishing relationships with our guests as brothers and sisters in Christ. We are very grateful for every one of our volunteers, and especially for those that come to sit, eat and fellowship with our guests. This is your personal invitation to come be a part of the Wednesday Night Dinner community. I'm sure it will change your life. Last night I even learned a new joke - "Why did Jesus ride a donkey? He was a Democrat."