Campus ministries serve students by serving up a meal
Haley Barnett–Associate Producer
For all the students at Tarleton State University that are tired of eating at the dining hall or do not have time to run home and grab a bite to eat, there is a solution for you.
Every Monday through Thursday, several ministries around campus host gatherings called Free Lunch. They start around eleven and run until about one in the afternoon.
There is often a line out the door at the free lunch locations. As you walk through the doors, you receive a welcoming smile and warm greeting from those running the lunch. The smell of food hits you as you walk through the line and get your plate filled. After your meal, there is a table full of desserts to choose from.
Free Lunch is a great way to meet people and connect to the community all while getting a free meal.
“I do Free Lunch for a lot of reasons but number one is probably because it’s the most direct way to love my classmates the way God has told me to,” Kate Day, a volunteer leader of the Baptist Student Ministry, said. “The goal every week is for students to walk in on Wednesdays and know they are cared for and loved by a network of believers in their community. We are looking to fill their bellies, connect and listen to them and point them towards God every chance we get.”
Free Lunch happens almost every week during the semester and all students are welcome to participate.
“For us, Free Lunch is simply an opportunity to serve the students of Tarleton,” Campus Minister at Texans for Christ Taylor Holt said. “Service is one of Tarleton’s core values, but is also a foundational part of who Jesus Christ was. We love Tarleton, and our goal as a ministry is to show Christ to the students we meet and serve.”
Free Lunch Schedule and Locations:
Mondays: Tarleton Wesley (1140 W. Tarleton St.)
Tuesdays: Texans for Christ Christian Campus Center (1093 W. Tarleton St.)
Wednesdays: Baptist Student Ministry (401 North McIlhaney St.)
Thursdays: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (595 McIlhaney St.)
