Breaking Bread, Building Community

by Chris Barlas

We have been running Toastie Tuesday every Tuesday lunchtime during term time, since the summer of last year, where we feed young people from the local high school. The numbers of young people who attend vary each week, with between 40 and 70 coming through each week. Our aim is to make everyone feel welcomed, valued, and seen.

What started as a simple way to serve God and make contact with young people in our community, has become so much more. At the heart of Toastie Tuesday is a team of 16 volunteers from different churches and denominations across Greenock. This diversity in our team has been such a blessing, not only are we building relationships with the young people, but also working together across the local church to serve God together.

One of the most encouraging aspects of this ministry has been the support from both the school and the church. These Tuesday’s afternoon have been so positive, with great conversations and moments where we see God at work. Whether it is a pupil opening up about the struggles of the day, or a chat about their weekend plans, or simply the joy of laughter over a game of giant Jenga, these moments really matter. We are hopefully planting seeds of trust and friendship, and we pray that in time, these connections will lead to something even deeper.

One of our ongoing challenges for us is bridging the gap between Toastie Tuesday and Young Life club on a Friday night. We continue to pray and seek ways to make this transition easier, trusting that God is at work even when we do not see immediate results.

Our team feel so privileged to be part of this work, not just serving food, but serving God by building real connections. Each week, we see the power of simply showing up, listening well, and loving as Christ loves. We love serving God through this ministry and we are so excited to see how God continues to move in the lives of these amazing young people.