church of the week
Fellowship Bible Church Dallas
By Cynthia Savage
The 700 Club
CBN.com
– For the past two years Fellowship Bible Church in Dallas has combined a unique resource with a community need.
“Our senior pastor really was the visionary to say, ‘How do we utilize this kitchen, this facility, to impact the community?’ And that’s how the Culinary Institute got started,” said Ryan Schwanke, the Global/Local Partnership Pastor.
Fellowship Bible Church renovated a movie theater and created Pendulum Coffee Shop. The tasty sandwiches and great prices draw a faithful clientele. Yet, it’s who’s in the kitchen that makes this place unique.
“In the kitchen, you have to be fast,” said one of the ministry workers.
“We’re looking in the refugee community for folks who have an interest or passion for food services,” Ryan said.
”Refugees have been forced from their home countries due to social, political, religious persecution and they cannot go back. So this is their new home now. And we feel like it’s very important for them to integrate into American churches with church family members who have a better understanding of this culture,” Ryan said.
“Even beyond the skills like the cooking skills that they learn, they’re learning about how in our culture we value time,” Ryan said. “In many cultures, the sense of time is so much different than ours. That’s one of the many transitions that they have to make.”
“The confidence level of students increases from a certain level coming in and not knowing what a kitchen does, how a kitchen works, to the point where I can walk in and they’re all doing their different tasks,” said Jason Vickery, the food service director.
“It begins to develop their skills, and hopefully, once they graduate and get another job, on a path of job growth and development; they can provide for their families and continually develop their skills,” Ryan said, “and, what we believe, live out their God given potential and purpose.”
Since they have been granted refugee status by the United States, the empowerment program helps these now legal immigrants gain access to other resources.
“There are resources available for refugees, and yet the applications are long and that’s where we kind of step in to help them fill out financial aid, the enrollment, the applications forms, to get them into college,” Ryan said.
“I would say the most rewarding part of this is the difference you see in people’s lives,” said food service director, Jason Vickery. “The reward is seeing people like, one of our former students, Mackline.”
“Fellowship Church here are like my family,” Mackline said, “because when I came here I didn’t have anything.”
“I really do appreciate, because of everything you gave to me, I really feel at home. I really feel like I have a family,” Mackline said. “So everybody, I really thank you. Thank you very much.”
Mackline, from Uganda, now works at a hotel. And Peter, from Liberia, is a current student who aspires to run his own restaurant one day.
“I’m thankful to God and for this church in particular,” Peter said. “I really appreciate the effort of the church and I love this church. Yes, because they are making us to live again as refugees.”
For your loving help to refugees in your neighborhood, The 700 Club salutes Fellowship Bible Church Dallas – America’s Church of the Week!
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