Friday Fun: Baked Potato Bar

 

                This past Sunday, Ryan and I hosted an appreciation luncheon for our deacons, to thank them for all the hard work they put in throughout the year to care for the people in our church.

                I know the term “deacon” can mean different things at different churches, but where we worship, all our deacons are couples, and they wear many ministry hats throughout the year. They serve communion, assist with special services, help us make new attenders feel welcome, and try to encourage our families throughout the year in times of celebration and hardship.

                One of the pieces of my job is to serve as the staff liaison for the deacons, and over the past year, I’ve worked really hard to try to equip and encourage them. I knew they always had a luncheon at the start of the year, so I decided to turn it into an appreciation lunch. I didn’t want them to have to provide their own food, so Ryan and I took on the task of making lunch for about 50 people. (Deacons, staff, and their families were included in that number.)

                My long-term goal is to have a rotation of meal plans so that we can have different options for a handful of years. This year’s plan was a baked potato bar.

                A few days before the meal, I went shopping for all the supplies, and then I marked out the day before the lunch as food prep day at our house. I absolutely could not have done this without Ryan’s help. Who knew a baked potato bar could take that many hours to prepare?

                I baked cookies (we had a box of ready-to-bake cut out cookies on hand) and made frosting for them. They were not what I would call decorated, but they were frosted.

                Ryan made a giant vat of chili for those who don’t like baked potatoes or wanted chili ON their potatoes. And then he washed, scrubbed, pierced, oiled, salted, and wrapped 52 white potatoes and 6 sweet potatoes.

                I had gone through the church kitchen to collect all the serving bowls, platters, and utensils I would need to house all the toppings. (We had things like ham, bacon, broccoli, cheese, ranch, BBQ sauce, sour cream, butter, French fried onions, shredded cheese, salsa, queso, onions, and probably a few other things I’ve forgotten.)

                I also went with a “thanks snow much” theme, complete with snowflake patterned tableware and decorations. And I had some appreciation gifts for all the couples, with special gifts for the two couples who were completing their terms and stepping down.

                Ryan and I carried all the things to church the night before and then we had right about an hour after Sunday School to transform our Activity Center into our banquet space. We worked hard, in tandem, to set the tables, set up the buffet, and get everything ready for them to arrive.

                I loved watching them talk as they ate, and then we had a brief business meeting and ended with a “Winter This-or-That” game to get to know one another a little bit better.

                And then it was over! That part was kind of sad. All that preparation and anticipation, and then it was done. But oh goodness, how proud I am of this team of friends who work so hard and so joyfully! I’m excited to work with them for another year and see what God does through them!