The Downtown Presbyterian Church is full of gratitude to the community for supporting this year’s Waffle Shop so enthusiastically. We are particularly thankful for our corporate sponsors, including The Contributor. As hoped, nearly 500 people attended and we raised over $15,000! All of the funds from Waffle Shop are allocated to the church’s mission to provide a free meal to the community each Saturday morning. This year’s event was a celebration of Waffle Shop’s traditions, the Christmas holiday, and our downtown community — all while supporting a very worthy cause!
Waffle Shop is referred to as both an event and a tradition. The definition of tradition is “a delivering up, surrender, a handing down, a giving up.” There is an inherent reciprocity in a tradition that requires both giving and receiving. You cannot create a tradition alone. It’s usually up to others to determine if an idea or activity merits repeating. The same is true of determining when a tradition has reached its conclusion. As a steering committee member, we are exceedingly grateful and humbled by those who have handed down the Waffle Shop, each year relinquishing it to others to continue as they feel best. Now that this year’s event has passed, we too must wait to see what comes next.
Like so many things in life, the Waffle Shop has changed over time. It is interesting to see which traditions have remained essential and which have not. Sometimes the transition from “then” to “now” is obvious — such as the name change from Bazaar to Waffle Shop. Other times it is more subtle — hot chicken replaces turkey hash on the menu. For several years the Women of the Church hosted the waffle luncheon for three days the week following Thanksgiving! I have nothing but utmost respect for those who were hosting such an endeavor. I also feel comfortable following the lead of those who opted to scale it back to a one-day event. At some point along the way guided tours of the sanctuary and a silent auction became highlights of the annual Waffle Shop. This balancing of repetition and change, the old with the new, has allowed this tradition to continue for 100 years.
As a church, we also celebrated a milestone this year. In June we honored the members who founded The Downtown Presbyterian Church in 1955, a process that began in 1954. The Downtown Presbyterian church is blessed beyond measure to have two founding members still in regular attendance — Jimmy Cheshire and Ridley Wills. These gentlemen and their families have given immeasurable support and guidance to DPC. They have served on its Session and its Corporation, helping to ensure its stability and its adherence to its principles.