Roy Hill, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Satsuma, has a soft spot for waiters and waitresses. “I got to thinking about some of the people who are often neglected, and they’re often the people that serve us every time we go out to eat,” Hill said. “I believe they often have a negative impression of church folks.”
So he was inspired to create an outreach event based on everyday interactions and one thing everyone can relate to: food. Hill and members of his Mobile Baptist Association church coordinated a dinner called Trading Places, honoring waiters and waitresses from local restaurants and allowing them a chance to relax and be served.
Throughout the weeks leading up to Trading Places on Jan. 26, church members distributed invitations to servers at restaurants whenever they ate out.
“Because everyone goes out to eat, people could connect with it,” said Bruce Holmes, associate pastor of administration and education. “I think that was the appeal.”
Holmes, along with church secretary Alisa Lowrey, played chef for the evening, preparing a chicken dish, vegetables, rolls and banana pudding. The church opted to hold the event on a Monday evening, because waiters and waitresses said that is generally the slowest night at restaurants. The goal was to make the dinner as stress-free as possible for guests, so First, Satsuma, even provided child care. Church members worked hard to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere, too. They sponsored tables and brought in table settings — dishes, flatware, floral centerpieces and even crystal — from their homes.
About 20 waiters and waitresses attended the event, and although Hill was disappointed that attendance was not higher, he is hopeful about next year’s outcome as the church plans to make Trading Places an annual event.
“So many waiters and waitresses that were there said they would pass along the word to co-workers and tell them they really missed out,” Hill said. “I had one woman say, ‘I’ve never been treated this good by my friends, much less strangers.’”
In addition to the meal, guests were treated to live guitar and saxophone music as well as door prizes donated by church members. Because there was no budget set aside for Trading Places, the event’s success relied solely on members’ contributions.
“The amount of people from the church that were involved was amazing,” said Kathy Flowers, who sponsored a table with her mother. “I feel like anybody that wasn’t there missed out on a blessing and an outpouring of love. They missed out on wonderful fellowship.”
Hill was blown away by the work his church put into it, calling it “a real high point for our church.”
Holmes added it was an excellent way to reach out to the community. “These people serve us every day, so this way, we [could] return the favor and show them how much they mean to us,” he said.
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