SIKESTON, Mo. – “Carnival food” brings to mind corndogs and funnel cakes, but for the traveling workers of the Sikeston American Legion Cotton Carnival, who visit Sikeston each year, it means a hot homecooked meal thanks to First Baptist Church, here.
The meal is an annual tradition dating back nearly two decades, with a women’s Sunday School class taking it upon themselves to love on the workers with nothing but hearty, home-cooked fare. This fall, they fed 40 workers at the church on Sept. 26 with a menu consisting of meat loaf, beans and corn bread, all sorts of veggies, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, smoked pork loin, pies, cakes and more.
“It’s a simple menu, but a lot,” said Terri Woods, one of the organizers from the Sunday School class. “Amazed how much they eat and how much they enjoy. They’re so appreciative.”
“It’s developed a really sweet relationship,” she said “We’re fortunate that the same group has been coming every year. We’ve watched their children grow up. We eat in the gym, so after dinner, they play basketball. They said they look forward to that every year, too.”
First Baptist’s lead pastor, Glen Cantrell, said the carnival was part of his life growing up in town, and it’s appropriate the meal has become part of the carnival staff’s life.
“What a fantastic way to minister to these workers who travel a great part of the year and are miles away from home,” he said.
One worker, Sandy George, told the Sikeston Standard Democrat the workers look forward to the meal provided by First Baptist Church each year, and called it a “very sincere” act of service.
Though the dinner is organized by the ladies’ class, the whole church gets in on the meal. They also provide Bibles – both English and Spanish – and other evangelistic materials.
Cantrell said the ministry is an example of thinking outside the box to show God’s love, even to those who might just be temporary neighbors.
“Churches often think of ministry work as work helping those in our community,” he said. “But there are many people who don’t live in our community that help it be a great place to live. Some of them, like the carnival workers, are transitional workers. They are here for a season or a special event and they are gone. Maybe we’ll see them again and maybe we won’t. Either way, churches should be reaching out to minister to these people too. You never know what showing them the love of Christ is going to do for them or how it will reverberate wherever they go next.”