Our Savior Lutheran Church in Carol Stream, Ill., serves families in the community through its monthly Breakfast with Baby event.
Photography and story by Erik M. Lunsford | Fall 2022
Before the dew had evaporated on a Saturday morning in May, mothers and their young children were already arriving at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Carol Stream, Ill., outside of Chicago.
Families gathered for the monthly Breakfast with Baby event, an outreach ministry that the church started in October 2019. Despite the pandemic, over 70 families continue to attend.
“We want the whole community to know that Christ has invited them into our home and His home. They are a part of our family and we’re here to take care of them as best we can and not only in Word and Sacrament, but also in physical needs,” said the Rev. Tom Sanders, vacancy pastor at Our Savior.
Inside the church’s gymnasium, tables and racks displayed available children’s clothing, while an area of strollers and toys under a large cross attracted children to one end of the room. Guests waited at the door to register near a sign that read: “God loves you! And so do we!”
Lauren Thomas, a wheelchair-bound mother of two with one more on the way, let daughter Viola ride on her lap with a bag of clothing while son Gideon walked behind, carrying another bag of items. Thomas, who has visited several times, said she’s thankful for the help from the church.
“Breakfast with Baby is a service we’re providing for people who are in need,” said Dawn Janke, one of the coordinators of the event. “We don’t question what that need is. We just know that if they’re coming, they are in need of something.”
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Bethany Lutheran Church
1011 Ulatis Drive
Vacaville, CA
(707) 451-6675
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