Two congregations. One concert. Multiple Food Trucks.

By: 
Jill Meier, Journal editor
A Lutheran congregation and a Methodist congregation have united forces to stage an outdoor, family-friendly Community Concert and Food Truck Night on Monday, July 19.
Brandon Lutheran Church and Celebration United Methodist are partnering in bringing Spoke Folk, a traveling bicycle ministry of high school students and chaperones to Brandon. At 7 p.m., Spoke Folk will take the makeshift stage at Brandon Lutheran’s picnic shelter and a variety of food trucks will be on hand in the parking lot starting at 5 p.m., serving through 7:30 p.m. Trucks scheduled to be in Brandon are Hunny & Bunny (Mediterranean cuisine), Berke’s BBQ, Fat Kid Filly’s (famed Philly cheesesteaks), The Big Orange Food Truck (specialty is chislic), and Redders, LLC (who take grilled cheese to the next level).
The South Dakota State University ice cream truck and Tropical Sno will be available for dessert, and tables and chairs will be set up in the church parking lot. Event-goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for the concert.
BLC administrative assistant Ang Riedel anticipates a sizable crowd will attend.
“People are now trying to get back together after COVID and get stuff going, which is nice,” she said.
This will not be the first time that Celebration has hosted overnight guests, according to Michele Wheeler, Celebration’s office and ministry assistant, and they’re ecstatic to do it again. 
“When you’re in the church office, sometimes you’re alone – especially since COVID – and so were all getting to know each other again, and this makes a unique opportunity for that,” she said.
The path that led Spoke Folk to Brandon started with John Schaumburg, who previously served as the youth director at Celebration and is leading the group’s tour this year. Schaumburg connected with BLC Associate Pastor Aimee Pakan, who formerly served as the director for Spoke Folk, proposing the idea for BLC to host a concert by the group and provide a place for the to sleep.
Although both congregations have chipped in on Tuesday morning’s breakfast costs, it will be Celebration’s Team Care that “hangs out with the kids and serves them breakfast,” Wheeler informed.
So, who is Spoke Folk?
Each summer and sometimes during the winter break, Spoke Folk, which numbers up to 30 participants 15 to 20 years old, along with 10 adult counselors from across the country, embark on a 12-day traveling bicycle ministry tour. They pedal about 25 miles per day to various communities and congregations, where they share God’s message and engage in relationship ministry. At their concerts, Spoke Folk presents a worship program filled with contemporary Christian music, testimonies, drama and even a puppet show for the children.
With construction underway at Brandon Lutheran, Celebration stepped up to open their doors to Spoke Folk members on Monday night, where the group will sleep and enjoy a complimentary breakfast before pedaling off to their next community concert destination.
Admission is free to the concert but there a free will offering will be taken, with donations directed to Spoke Folk’s ministry.
Volunteers are needed to help set up tables and chairs at 4 p.m., clean tables during the event and tear down following the concert. To volunteer, contact Brandon Lutheran Church at 582-3401.
BLC is also planning a third Food Truck Night this year, which will be Sept. 8.

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The Brandon Valley Journal

 

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