The Jones Memorial United Methodist Church will host the 39th annual Men's Club Bar-B-Que on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. in the Church Fellowship Hall at 4131 Ringgold Road.
Food choices will include chicken, beef or pork plates for $8; x-large pork or beef sandwiches for $5 and bulk bar-b-que meat by the pound package for $10 per pound. There will be a bake and craft sale by the United Methodist Women. Participants can eat in or carry out.
The bar-b-que is sponsored and organized by the Men's Club and enlists the help of the entire congregation. The funds raised go to purchase coats for needy children in East Ridge schools. They also go to help youth camps, youth assemblies and other charitable projects for both the church and the community of East Ridge. The Women's UMW Bake and Craft Sale proceeds go toward women's and children's ministries. The youth are involved and benefit from the proceeds to help finance some of their projects as well.
Over the past 25 years 2,500 coats have been purchased for children in need totaling over $82,500. The principals of the East Ridge schools help the church by letting them know how many coats are needed and the sizes. The church delivers them back to the school and the principals distribute them. The church has received many touching notes from needy children over the years thanking them for their coat.
A teacher and a principal from McBrien School ha e spoken during the morning worship. The teacher who came had every child in her room receive a coat. The church also put a small new testament in the pocket of each coat. The principal of Spring Creek Elementary, Paula Burgner come and spoke to the congregation about how much the coats mean to the children and their parents. This past year Spring Creek honored all volunteers who have helped their school with a brunch and Jones Memorial representatives were included in that.
Tom Baugh has been chairman of the bar-b-que for 37 years with son, Jeff Baugh joining him as co-chairman 19 years ago. Tom Martin started the bar-b-que 39 years ago by getting men in the church together. The bar-b-que has been dedicated in his memory since his death. In the beginning the men cooked about 500 pounds of meat and this year they will serve close to 5,000 pounds of meat. They use Tom Martin's original bar-b-que sauce recipe.
Previously all the cooking was done at the old East Ridge Town Hall BBQ pits...until they were torn down about four years ago. The Men's club hauled in the hickory wood and cooked all day Friday and Friday night all night. Rib and Loin now helps by cooking the beef and pork and the men use their sauce. The Men's club cooks the chicken all day on Friday on special grills out in front of the church before the serving on Saturday, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
The bar-b-que sauce will be made during the week before the event and the women of the church meet to make homemade cole slaw, baked beans, tea and more BBQ sauce in the church kitchen. Cooking begins on Friday.
The youth go out and sell tickets and deliver to local businesses in East Ridge on Saturday morning. The Children's Department gathers orders and prepares them for delivery.
The JMUMC Men's Club meets once a month on the 2nd Saturday of the month. They cook breakfast together around 6:30 a.m. and serve at 8 a.m. with a special speaker and meeting. For more information visit www.jmumc.org or call 624-6073