2nd and 4th Sundays @ 3:00 PM
Salem United Methodist Church, Brookeville, MD
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Make Soup And Bread • Garden • Eat Dinner • Meet Your Neighbors • Feed Your Neighbors
The one who showed mercy.
Who is My Neighbor? is a twice-a-month event where neighbors around the Olney-Brookeville area can come together to grow vegetables, make soup to donate, and share a meal.
The name Who is My Neighbor? comes from the story of the Good Samaritan, where someone asks Jesus who his neighbor is when Jesus tells him to love his neighbor as himself.
After Jesus shares the story of the Good Samaritan, He asks the man who was the neighbor in the story and the man replies that a neighbor is someone who shows mercy.
Jesus then replies to the man, "Go and do likewise."
Like the Good Samaritan, we define who is our neighbor not by geographic proximity but by acts of mercy. This gathering is a practice of neighboring.
We come together to recognize the humanity of all our neighbors, especially those who are hungry and without food.
We share a meal where we also eat the food that we intend to donate as an act of solidarity with our neighbors in need. When we eat what we donate, we say that what is good enough for our neighbors is good enough for us.
It's for everyone
No matter your experience with gardening or cooking, your age, or your background, everyone is invited to cook, garden, eat, and talk at this event.
It's ordinary
We look for sacred in the ordinary. This event will not transform the world, but it will feed some neighbors. We gather to do activities humans have been doing forever and will continue to do: grow and cook food.
It's friendly
This event is meant for you to get to know your neighbors. People will talk to you. They might even ask you something about yourself. Don't be alarmed, they're just here because they believe that being in community, while sometimes difficult, is a necessary, often enjoyable, and frequently diminished part of being human.
It's enough
There's nothing to strive for. We don't want to build an empire, we want to be in community. A common phrase you'll hear us say is, "We've already arrived." The food is enough. The space is enough. You are enough. We've got more than we need.
You'll see a lot of "What We Believe" sections on a church website, but it is hard for Soup Church to formally define what the community believes. One thing we do believe is that God invites all people to come to God's table. This includes people who have been historically and often contemporarily marginalized by the Church, including people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people, and racial and ethnic minorities.
We are a community of people who hold a lot of different beliefs on God (or the Divine), religion, and Christianity. Rather than beliefs, our gatherings focus on values that center how we interact and relate to one another.
We value:
Bravery
We desire to be a safe place for all to voice their experience of God and recognize that at times we will fall short in realizing this desire. In order to cultivate safety for others, we must be brave with our voices in sharing our experiences and at times our dissent.
Mutuality
We desire to be place where mutual conversations happen. We believe everyone's experiences and opinions of God and spirituality are valid and sacred. We center our gatherings around sharing of ourselves and listening to others.
Humility
We desire to be a place where, with empathy and compassion, we set aside our assumptions and suspend disbelief in an effort to listen deeply to one another and take seriously the stories, desires, protests, laments, and ideas shared over the meal.
Presence
We desire to be a place where people come to gather to be present to one another, to ourselves, and to God. We desire to slow down and recognize all that is around us and the reality that our existence is a gift.
Dinner will always consist of the soup and bread that is made to donate. Some generous neighbors will also bring other sides and desserts for the group, so usually there are some additional food on the table. This event is meant to be for anyone who wants to join, so if you have other dietary restrictions or food allergies, talk to us! We will figure out a way for all to have a nourishing meal.
No! If you feel the desire to bring something to share, we will gladly accept your offering, but no food offering is required.
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You should wear clothes that you are okay to get dirty from making soup or gardening, a hat to wear in the kitchen when making soup, and a water bottle.
All religious traditions, spiritualities, faiths, or lack thereof are welcome in the kitchen, garden, and at the table. We believe these diverse beliefs are a strength of the community and help inform one another. The dinner may include prayers using Christian language and there may be discussion on the teachings of Jesus. Other spiritual and religious languages and traditions are welcomed to be voiced and celebrated.
No! Whether you are tending the garden or in the kitchen making soup and bread, there will be a seasoned leader guiding you through what to do. This event is actually a great place to learn a little bit from others if you are interested in starting your own garden or cooking at home.
Yes! The entire family is invited to be a part of Who is My Neighbor. We are an intergenerational community. Kids are invited to participate in the gardening, cooking, and dinner the same way an adult would. Students may also receive SSL hours for volunteering.
The soup and bread is donated to a variety of people and organizations. Typically we work with the Montgomery County Office of Food Resilience to identify groups and nonprofit organizations who could disperse our food to those who need it.
In the past, we have donated to shelters, weekend feeding programs at schools, grassroot immigrant coalitions, and group homes.