With the school year well underway for our students in Lighthouse we have been back doing one of our favorite events, DHS Lunches. This event has had a few names over the years and was one of my favorites when I went to DHS 16 years ago. After a COVID plus length break of going without these lunches we brought them back last year and I couldn't be happier to be running these lunches again. Every Monday I head out to Costco, grab some pizza, desserts and drinks. Then take my wagon (who's original purpose was for the farmers market and soccer games with my kids) full of those Costco items, a fold up table and a "LUNCH TODAY" sign and walk over to a grassy area behind the Vets Memorial Theater and Davis Library and set up our stuff.
As the lunch bell rings and students start making their way over there's often a fast pace in their steps. Even a few of our LH regulars make it a sprint to get over to lunch. For the next 45 minutes it is a joy to see familiar faces and new faces alike enjoy lunch. We make this lunch free for all due to a generous donation, which is certainly a delight to curious students who make their way over to us.
Often it's not just me at these lunches as we have partnered with UCC in the past and also our friends from Young Life will come by as well. This is such a joy to partner with different churches and ministries with the goal of meeting students where they are at. We go to where they are and share Christ's love with them via a Costco pizza. I also get another time of the week to connect with our LH students and jump into what's going on in their lives and hangout with them and some of their non-LH friends.
We continue to see a growth and a buzz about our lunches, last week a student, who I didn't know, told me that it was getting around school that we had lunch here on Mondays. Often the students ask us what club we are or why we are doing this lunch and I am able to share with them about FBC and who our youth group is. We are planting seeds and sharing the generosity I believe our youth group is called to share.
I can't wait for next Monday and to see how God is going to continue to use these lunches to share the name of Jesus in our town.
Jeff Hodges
Youth Pastor - First Baptist Church of Davis California