BBQ & Hospitality - Outside Edition | Trinity Talks Podcast

Hello everyone and welcome to a very special episode today of Trinity Talks.

You may notice that I am not where I usually am.

In fact, I'd like to say that I'm breaking new ground by standing on the ground outside

the church for our Trinity Talks.

And that is because we wanted to walk with you through one of our favorite things that

happen here at the church.

And it's a summer tradition that we host a barbecue for anyone in the church to come

to and enjoy a hamburger or a hot dog.

And that's why I wanted to have Charlene with us here.

Charlene Souster-Morris, not Charlene Moustersaurus.

Little joke we had before this started.

But Charlene organizes and coordinates the barbecues, which is no small feat.

So Charlene, can you just like tell us a little bit about yourself here?

I've been coming to Trinity now for about nine years and I wanted to see how I could

help out.

And I always felt that God put me on this earth to feed people.

So the best place for me is to be in the kitchen and otherwise known as the crazy kitchen lady.

Because if you can't see me in service, I'm in the kitchen.

That's right.

So you haven't said hello to Charlene yet.

You can just open the door to the kitchen.

You will find her there and she's got a nice well-oiled machine going on.

So that's a good point.

And as Charlene helps out in the kitchen year round, not just with our barbecues.

In fact, you sort of lead up the hospitality team, which is what we like to say.

So during the year for our coffee hours, you're the one who helps not only with volunteer

coordinators, but also getting the coffee and the cookies and the drinks out.

God keep us fed.

She keeps us fed.

That's right.

So I mentioned the word hospitality and that is really what we like to say it is here,

is a ministry of hospitality at Trinity.

So what do you think that means to you?

For me, the fundamentals of anything is family, food and fellowship.

And as much as we learn in the service, we can't put it into practice unless we can meet

with our fellow man.

And the best way to do it is with food.

So whether it's a piece of cake, it's a cookie, in the summertime it's a hot dog or a hamburger,

we build more of a community of Christ by actually sitting down and breaking bread together.

So for me, it's the fundamental and the foundation of everything.

So the barbecue is a little bit different than those coffee hours.

What do we serve at barbecues and what's it all about?

Barbecue right now is hot dogs, hamburgers and veggie burgers.

We also have some snacks to keep the kids entertained.

So this week we've got cheeses and potato chips.

We've got some healthier snacks.

We do have some raw carrots.

So at least the kids get something healthy into them.

And we've got extra cookies because people graciously brought in cake this morning.

So we had cake with our coffee hour.

That's wonderful to know that people are contributing in that way.

Let's bring the cameras over and take a look at what we do serve here over at the barbecue.

But this is where this is where all the food is served.

And we have some people over at the grill.

And you mentioned hamburgers and hot dogs, veggies too.

But what team do you play for?

I'm a burger girl.

Give me a burger with lots of mustard, a little bit of onion and some cheese on it.

I'm a happy camper.

All right.

Thanks.

I was wondering if you thought it'd be fun to go around and ask a few other people what

they prefer.

Yeah.

I think we're watching Natalie load her burger up with some cheese and some pickles there.

So we're going to see which one wins.

Natalie, do you prefer hamburgers or hot dogs?

I am easy.

In fact, I got a veggie dog today.

That's a burger.

That's a burger.

Veggie burger.

That's what I mean.

All right.

That's how he's been.

She's had a long one.

Look at what this is.

It's good for me.

Is it food?

It's good for Natalie.

What's Grace plays for over here?

What team do you play for?

Hamburger or hot dog?

Well, I started my day off with a cookie for breakfast from the assortment.

So I'm balancing it with some carrots, but I think hamburger.

Hamburger.

All right.

Thank you for that.

We're going to go see if a hamburger takes the lead.

We're going to ask John over here.

Oh no.

John doesn't know we're coming, but we've got a very tough question for you today.

Yeah.

All right.

I'm ready.

Hamburger or hot dog?

Hamburger.

No question.

I think that's three for hamburger so far.

Thank you.

Is there a prize?

No, a hamburger.

A hamburger.

A hamburger.

That's a prize in itself.

All right.

We've got to get someone else here.

We've got Wally over here who might look like he might be supporting the visitor team here.

This is a, we're pre-filming a Trinity Talks for next week.

And we're just wondering what you prefer, a hamburger or a hot dog?

Today, hot dog.

I like to change it up.

So today's hot dog.

Today is a hot dog day.

All right.

Thank you.

All right.

We're perfect.

We're just going to get one or two more.

And I see Eric Han over here.

Actually, we've got a few other people.

We've got Bill and Rick and Eric Han.

And this is actually a really fun Trinity Talks.

We need to walk around more often.

We've got three people here and we're just wondering what you prefer, a hamburger or a

hot dog?

Hamburger.

All right.

Say that into the microphone so everyone can hear.

Hamburger.

All right.

Didn't even have to think about it.

No.

I think that's the reason that hamburger is the most popular because they've all gone.

That's why I'm eating a hot dog.

All right.

So you might just choose a hot dog if it's the only thing left.

And Eric Han, over here.

I think hamburger, but today, nothing.

Nothing.

All right.

This question proved to be more challenging than I thought.

All right.

Thanks very much.

We've got a few more questions for Charlene here.

I guess I don't need this microphone.

But Charlene, you said that you love to feed people.

So at church, I assume, is not the only time that you use food as a way to practice hot

hospitality.

No.

Like I said, I was put on this earth to feed people.

And anytime I invite someone over to my house for the first time, I say to people, either

wear stretchy clothes or don't be afraid to undo the top button on your pants.

Because if you go home hungry, I haven't done my job right.

And the funny part of it is our worship leader, Libby, the very first time she came to our

house for dinner, she wore her track pants.

She took me literally.

And she was grateful she did because she needed the stretchy pants.

I actually had a friend that was pregnant and had to adjust her maternity band because

she ate too much at my house.

What would be one of your signature dishes?

My signature dish in the summertime, it's either a mixed grill or now, according to

my son, it's pulled pork on our smoker and smoked mac and cheese.

OK, excellent.

Thank you.

So if someone wanted to get involved with this, because we can see we've got a team

of volunteers behind us and certainly in the kitchen, there's always a team who does the

pre-set up, people who help in between services, and then also the take down.

How can someone get involved?

It's literally finding myself or talking to Mary or Natalie or even Sally and asking.

We always are looking for people to help out, whether it's to set up in the morning for

coffee before the service or cleaning up after coffee.

In the winter, you either do set up before, kind of clean up and refresh for the second

service in the winter for second service coffee, or now with the barbecue teams, it's prepping

all the food.

So it's putting out the carrots, slicing the onions, the tomatoes, all what we have out

or cleaning up.

And it's staying later because each job is so important, especially cleanup, because

no one likes to do dishes, including myself, but it is still such an active service.

And believe me, I'm grateful for anyone who's willing to stay and help.

Absolutely, absolutely.

And is there training involved?

I walk through anyone when they volunteer for the first time, just because I don't want

anyone to kind of get scared off because they don't know what they're doing or back away

and don't want to continue.

So I want to make sure that they're willing to help or I pair them with a buddy that's

been doing it for a while so that everybody feels comfortable.

And I've always said to anyone that if you have a question, the only dumb question you

have is the one you don't ask me.

So even though you may think it's a dumb question, it's never a dumb question because it's something

that you may not know or I may not even think of.

So we can figure things out together.

Learn together and it's a great way to meet people too as well.

That's been my biggest thing I think with volunteering in the kitchen is I've expanded

my church family more than I ever expected to because of working in the kitchen.

You can get to know people more over washing some dishes than you ever do.

Absolutely, absolutely.

That's really great.

Now you mentioned that we need help to tidy up.

We need help to clean up.

I also know that barbecues don't fund themselves.

So how do we fund something like this and what are we doing in that sense this year?

This year we were blessed with a donation so what we're doing is any money we take in,

we are donating to other things within our community but what we're trying to do is at

least make sure what we take in so whether it's a tap or a cash donation is we're trying

to make sure that what we spend we are also taking in to make sure that it continues and

we can continue to fund it.

Absolutely.

It's always such a lovely turnout and like you said I've met so many people just through

these barbecues.

I think I might, I'm not looking to see if we have anyone on the grill over there that

hasn't yet been spoken to because like you said it takes a team.

You certainly are not the only one setting this up and we have a lot of people who have

put in time and I'd just like to hear a little bit from some of our people over on the grill.

Who do we have over helping on the grill today?

Rick?

Why do you like to help with the barbecue?

He doesn't know why I'm asking him this but...

Because it's a great event, it gets lots of people together and it brings us all together

as a church family so I always enjoy it and it's a little hot today I have to say.

A little hot, alright.

We put the shelter up but the wind is just on the limit for the shelter so I think we're

okay but yeah I enjoy seeing all the people, it's a good way to see everyone in the church

family.

Thank you, that's well said and I think that's why a lot of people choose to do it is it

helps to build the community that we have and continue to strengthen it here at the

church.

Well Charlene, thank you for walking around with me and that's it for Trinity Talks Outside.

I think we'll be back indoors next week.