Grace United Church of Christ, 902 Lincoln Ave., Northampton, began the Lenten season with its traditional dinner service, the first of which was held March 4.

Meals are also planned for Fridays through the month of March. Attendees can choose crabcakes or chicken fingers. The dinners include a baked potato, dinner roll and homemade brownie for dessert.

The volunteers cooking, serving food and selling tickets were jovial, with clear camaraderie present. Longtime coordinator Charlotte Leindecker, who is planning to reduce her leadership role, was grooming a succession candidate in the kitchen. Lee Ann Hortman, Leindecker’s understudy, expects to hold the reins at future dinners.

The five-person kitchen crew labored industriously, cooking and assembling the dinners.

Sue Kutzler and Betty Miller staffed the ticket sales table. Ever smiling, they appeared to be enjoying their roles. The proceeds of the dinner go to the church’s general fund.

In 2022, Grace celebrates 119 years as a faith community serving its members and the borough of Northampton. This impressive longevity is a testament to many volunteers - past and present - who worked to make the church a success. The volunteers at the dinner March 4 carried on this historical legacy of selfless work serving the church.

Grace UCC’s mission is “Love God with Prayer, Energy and Passion.” Grace is a dynamic, successful church that works to be a united and uniting church, multiracial and multicultural, a peace and justice church and a church accessible to all.

Visit graceuccchurch.com for more information.