Fresh Bread group celebrates first year of sharing their faith

Sheri Trusty
·4 min read
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Locals, tourists and summer residents gathered once a month to eat together and talk about topics of faith in a nonjudgmental atmosphere at the Fresh Bread events. Everyone is welcome.
Locals, tourists and summer residents gathered once a month to eat together and talk about topics of faith in a nonjudgmental atmosphere at the Fresh Bread events. Everyone is welcome.

PORT CLINTON — One year ago, two ministers and a layman with a passion for sharing Christ’s love hosted the first Fresh Bread dinner. What transpired that day was unique for Port Clinton.

The group that gathered together shared a meal and connected over faith, whether that faith was strong, wavering, or nonexistent. On June 27, Fresh Bread celebrated its one-year anniversary with a packed house at the Sutton Center.

Rev. Chris Young, Rev. Karen Graham and Dan Moulton serve together on Lakeside Chautauqua’s Religious Life Advisory Committee. A couple of years ago, they independently began dreaming of a way to bring people together to talk about faith in a comfortable, nonjudgmental environment. They mingled their ideas, and Fresh Bread was born.

“We were all thinking of something similar. We had three different visions, but they were close,” Moulton said. “We weren’t sure how it would turn out. It was kind of an experiment.”

The “experiment” was successful.

Fresh Bread, a casual monthly gathering where people can enjoy a meal and talk about faith, celebrated its first anniversary on June 27.
Fresh Bread, a casual monthly gathering where people can enjoy a meal and talk about faith, celebrated its first anniversary on June 27.

Group meets monthly at Bistro 163

Once a month, locals and seasonal residents gather at Bistro 163 for a meal catered by the Bistro. Young, Graham or Moulton read Scripture, and those in attendance discuss the Scripture around their tables. The ecumenical event, which is not connected to a church or denomination, encourages open discussion about topics of faith. The idea was to create an event which reflected similar gatherings in early Christian churches.

The community response was overwhelming. So many people registered for the anniversary event that it was moved to the conference room behind the Bistro.

“We thought in the off-season it would fall off, but we had pretty good attendance in winter,” Moulton said. “We have a mix now. We have some summer people coming back, but it’s mostly local people.”

Moulton said three types of people attend Fresh Bread, and all are equally welcome.

Event includes people affiliated with a church, others who are not

“We have people who are affiliated with a church and are firmly established in their faith, who like to share their faith with people from other churches. We have people who are not affiliated with a church family but are still people of faith, and we have people who are interested in exploring their faith. We hope to have more of them,” Moulton said.

Royetta Floriana of Catawba has been attending Fresh Bread for months and enjoys it so much she invited her friend Deb Westerfelt, also of Catawba, to come with her to the June event.

“I love it. I try to make it every month,” Floriana said. “I love the fellowship, and we always have such a nice meal. The Bistro is the best. We have a lot of ladies’ lunches there.”

Barb Martin of Kentucky is a longtime summer resident who attends Fresh Bread when she is in town.

“After I came once, I ran into Dan and he remembered my name. I couldn’t believe it,” Barb said. “The concept of Fresh Bread is wonderful. It is a welcoming type of event for anyone.”

Dan Moulton, left, Rev. Karen Graham, center, and Rev. Chris Young created Fresh Bread as a venue for people to share their faith and explore their faith. The three serve on Lakeside Chautauqua’s Religious Life Advisory Committee.
Dan Moulton, left, Rev. Karen Graham, center, and Rev. Chris Young created Fresh Bread as a venue for people to share their faith and explore their faith. The three serve on Lakeside Chautauqua’s Religious Life Advisory Committee.

Moulton hopes Fresh Bread will help people grow in their faith like he did many years ago. He said he was once a “nominal Christian” and an “intellectual believer.” In the midst of a career transition, he began to struggle but eventually embraced God’s love during one of the darkest seasons of his life.

One organizer says group gave him guidance

“When I was at the bottom, I discovered a profound awareness of God’s love for me,” he said. “I began to live my life in a way I always said I believed.”

Now Moulton hopes Fresh Bread will help people find God’s love.

“Lots of people are spiritually hungry. There are lots of lonely people out there,” he said. “This is low pressure. They can ask questions and not be judged.”

Fresh Bread meets the fourth Monday of every month at 5:30 p.m. at Bistro 163. There is no cost, but reservations are required by the Friday before the event. Reservations can be made at freshbreadfaith@gmail.com or 419-798-5119.  More information can be found at the Fresh Bread Facebook page.

Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Port Clinton News Herald: Fresh Bread group celebrates first year of sharing their faith