Dear Theophilus Archive: Sept. 2001

Fellowship Committee: Doughnuts & God?

By Billy Kwak

In the movie Simon Birch, Simon asks his pastor "What do doughnuts have anything to do with God?" Good question. Let me see if I can answer that for him and for you.

I think that most people have a misconception of what the ministry of the Fellowship Committee is. Do we cut doughnuts? Yup. Do we grill for picnics? Sure. Prepare food for retreats and conferences? Oh yeah. Is that all? Nope: we also stay behind at every event and take care of the cleanup. But none of that is the ministry of the Fellowship Committee.

The ministry of the Fellowship Committee is much like that of any other ministry at Emmanuel Church: to pray for the church and for the people whom our Lord brings through our doors every week. What do doughnuts have anything to do with God? The answer to that is nothing, really. But we, the people of God, can use them as a means to have fellowship with one another. "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:46-47

Through the years of serving in the Fellowship Committee, I have learned quite a bit about cooking, especially for groups of all sizes. I have learned that although people think that having salad at picnics is nice, nobody eats it. I have also learned how to core lettuce (if you do not know how, please let me teach you; it is actually one of my favorite things!). But what I have learned most from the Fellowship Committee is how to care for others by serving them and by serving with them.

The Fellowship Committee has had many different types of people as members over the years—some very outgoing, some very quiet. Many have told me that they enjoy serving in this capacity because it is humbling and "behind the scenes." I would have to agree. It does not take great culinary skill to serve in this capacity, just a heart to serve God and His people.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 4:10-11