First Sundays, Second Helping
On the first Sunday of each month here at Second Baptist, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Like most modern churches, our observance has a vital spiritual function as the morsel of bread and small cup of juice represent Christ’s body and blood. In the early church, however, the Lord’s Supper was observed as the main meal at the end of the day, and it served both practical and spiritual purposes. While participants were spiritually sharing in the death and resurrection of Christ, they were also practically sharing an actual meal at the community table where those with more resources shared their food with those in need.
On Lord’s Supper Sundays in 2024, we want to recapture the communal and charitable emphasis of the early church through a practice we are calling, “First Sundays, Second Helping.” On the first Sunday of each month when we take Communion, we invite everyone to donate food items for our Loaves & Fishes food distribution program to help our neighbors in need.
On First Sundays, please place your donations in the designated containers in the Church Commons.
Here are the most helpful food items:
- Full-sized grocery bags
- Canned or pouched tuna/chicken
- Jars of peanut butter, 16 oz. or less preferred
- Canned green vegetables
- Canned corn
- Canned beans
- Packs of Ramen Noodles
- Packs of single-serve apple sauce
- Packs of single-serve fruit cups
- Boxes or bags of rice
- Boxes of pasta, spaghetti, or macaroni and cheese
- Cans of pasta or spaghetti sauce
Loaves & Fishes Food Distribution. In coordination with the Clothes Closet Mission Ministry, our food pantry doors are open to the community at large every second and fourth Friday of the month from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. If you are interested in volunteering to help with food distribution Fridays, please contact lay leader Marilyn Herold at harktheherald66@comcast.net or Minister of Discipleship & Missions, Rev. Tom Mitchell at tmitchell@secondbaptistrva.org.