LEBANON – A 25-year-old homeless man had given up hope of ever finding a job when he entered First Baptist Church here for a hot meal one Wednesday night.
Just passing through the area, the man had spent the last four nights sleeping in a city drainage culvert. While the young man enjoyed his meal, a church member started talking to him. After listening to his story, the church member made a few phone calls and by the end of the night he had secured the young man a job interview for the following day.
“He was employed within a week,” said Gib Adkins, overseer of First Lebanon’s Project 25:35, a ministry effort that provides free hot meals with “no strings attached” to the people of Lebanon. “Project 25:35 has become a pillar ministry in our church. God has allowed us this window of opportunity to just love on people and encourage them in these difficult times.”
Project 25:35’s mission statement is based on Matthew 25:35 which says, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in…”
“During this economic recession, our area, with its heavy manufacturing and tourism-related industries, has experienced a great slowdown and a lot of layoffs,” Adkins said.
Lebanon is the county seat of Laclede County, which has the highest unemployment rate of all counties in Missouri.
“That added up to an increase in the number of people asking area churches for help,” Adkins said. “We started praying about what God wanted us to do and He showed us the need for a free and relaxed community dinner, one with no strings attached.”
The church doesn’t ask for names or numbers and the people who dine on the buffet-style dinner can come and go as they please. The idea is that everyone in the community can count on at least one hot meal during the week without being “hit over the head” with the gospel.
Project 25:35 served 22,000 meals in 2011 and has served an average of 500 people a week since it started two years ago. It takes between 30 and 35 volunteers to serve and cook each meal.
“We have had great volunteer support from the community come in and partner with us,” Adkins said. “In fact, it takes about $1,000 a week to prepare each meal and the church hasn’t had to spend one dime of its reserve. God has consistently sent the money, either through private donations or support from outside the church. It has been a miracle and God has really blessed us.”