Sunrise United Methodist Church in Holly Springs is preparing for another successful Sunrise Café at the NC State Fair. Volunteers are being recruited and efforts are being made to convert the space normally used as a flea market space into a cafeteria. These efforts include a significant amount of cleaning and organizing. Before the first biscuit can be cooked or the first footlong hotdog served, they must pass a health inspection by the Wake County Health Department. This inspection is taken very seriously and a lot of pride is involved in receiving this permit early. You see it takes some time to make more than 600 pounds of homemade chili. Plus they hold an open house for the church family to come by for hotdogs and get familiar with the layout of the booth. It takes three shifts with thirteen positions on each shift to operate the Café successfully. The positions include dishwashers, bakers, servers, and cooks with each one being just as important as the next. What makes this operation so interesting is that the team of church members who coordinate the Café do not have food service experience other than the previous years of operating the Café. The team is made up of engineers, a school teacher, a stay at home mom, a real estate agent, a couple small business owners, an EMS Lieutenant, and a couple of retirees plus the Pastor. They have been working together on this ministry for years and have gotten the process down fairly well.

So, when did Sunrise UMC start this ministry and why do they do it? The church was established in Holly Springs in fall of 1996. They began meeting in the Holly Springs Elementary School, but in 1997 started the process of finding a permanent location. They secured some funds through the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church but needed additional money to completely purchase the property on Sunset Lake Road. At this same time, Longview UMC in Raleigh was terminating their contract to operate a food booth at the State Fair. The management of the State Fair contacted the Raleigh District of the United Methodist Church and the Raleigh District contacted the Pastor of Sunrise UMC and the rest is history. The proceeds earned from the first year of the Sunrise Café helped to secure the property and the proceeds earned since from the operation of the Café have been going to a building expansion fund and missions. Many of those who are charter members of the church see the Sunrise Café as a link in a chain that moved them from the Holly Springs Elementary School to their current facility at 5420 Sunset Lake Road that they moved into on Easter Sunday 2001. Sunrise UMC is now pursuing an expansion phase to their current facility and the Sunrise Café is again looked upon as a vital link in reaching that expansion goal. Just like the church membership has grown, the Sunrise Café has grown as well. In talking to the team responsible for the coordination of the Café, it became evident that something more than money is obtained from this ministry. The multiple positions on the work shifts allows opportunity for everyone in the church whether a member or not to join together to work for a common goal. They are serving others as Jesus Christ asks of all people. New friendships are created and old ones are renewed during those two weeks in October making the experience fun for all. If you’re interested in stopping by the Sunrise Café, you’ll find them in the permanent food booth location across from Dorton Arena. Just look for the long line and happy faces!