Central Baptist Brings The Heat

On April 18, 2015 Central Baptist Church of Riverton-Palmyra joined the Cedars of Lebanon movement with an all you can eat Chili cook-off. Nine chilies were donated for the event, from both local businesses and Central Baptist Community Members, all were excellent and no two were alike. Entertainment was provided by Stillwaters Gospel Band, adding additional charm to the evening. Amanda Boulton, coordinator of the fundraiser, was over-joyed by the community response. “Everyone contributed, and was excited to see what we could do.” The weeks leading up to the event brought some anxiety, as ticket sales were slow. The Wednesday prior Amanda hoped fifty people would attend. By Friday, that number had risen to eighty. The final estimated number of attendees ended up exceeding expectations, with over ninety-six people in attendance! The number in attendance was not the only surprise of the night. “We had both large bowls and small sample cups to serve people, almost everyone went for the sample cups,” Amanda explained. Throughout the evening, people carried plates to their tables which held a wide sampling of offerings, many returned to fill their plates a second or third time.

When everything was tallied at the end of the night, a total of $1803 was collected, a number which brought loud applause when announced in worship the following day. “It feels like we have a church which does stuff,” said one grateful member.