JORDAN - For more than five years the monthly dinners at the First Baptist Church of Jordan have been one of the most looked forward to events on the church's calendar.

“It seems like we've been doing this forever,” the Rev. Fred Bolio said. “Generally we get a really good turnout, the weather has a lot to do with it and we've been blessed with that this year, so it has been fantastic.”

The dinners are a chance for people not only of the church's congregation, but the entire community to get together and kick back and have a good time.

“I think it is the food that brings them in primarily,” Bolio said. “But it is also the camaraderie and the chance to spend some time sitting with friends and have some food and have a nice time out.”

Bolio said people come from all over.

“We get people from the other churches,” he said. “We try to help each other where we can and we have dinners on different Saturdays. For example. I know I'll be having dinner at the Methodist church next week. We all try to help each other. But also get people from Auburn and Baldwinsville and Weedsport and we even deliver to one of the nursing homes in Weedsport. It gives the church a chance to interact with the community.”

People like Beth Oney, a member of a local Methodist congregation, said that all the churches in town try to lend each other a hand and attend the various events that each church holds.

“We support each other,” Oney said. “The number one thing is that this is about the food and the number two thing is the community. We really do everything we can to support each other.”

For many of the regular attendees, church dinners are an important social event.

“Everybody knows everybody,” Dorothy Pille, of Elbridge, who attends every month, said. “It is always good to come here and see everyone. There is a lot of food and it is always good and the best part is you haven't had to cook any of it. It is just a very nice time out.”

The dinners, held the first Saturday of every month, serve not only as a time for food and friends, but also as a fundraiser for the expenses of the church.

“It really helps us defray expenses,” Bolio said. “It is a nice time for people to get together and eat and talk and everything done is all volunteer, whoever chairs the event does the cooking and people bring desserts and it is a really nice time that helps raise money to help support the church.”

“I love these dinners,” Alice Sherman said. “I always come here and meet up with some friends, but I think it is a truly great way to raise some money for the church and to get from outside people and not just the congregation, but everyone that comes here and helps support this.”