ASHEBORO, NC (December 1, 2010) – For years, the annual Pig Pickin Pig Out served by Central Carolina Community Covenant Church was an in-house meal.

However, this year they decided their recent dinner would focus on serving people in the community who are struggling financially, are jobless, homeless, or simply wanted to come.

They wound up feeding about 400 people on a Saturday afternoon. “The best part about the event was around 12 people came to church who we fed on Saturday, and four of them received Christ as their Savior,” says Pastor Ed Arroyo. “So it was truly an awesome day.”

The church served 2,100 pounds of ham and set up blow-up bounce activities for kids. The church also gave 15 hams to a soup kitchen called “Our Daily Bread,” which feeds up to 70 people each day with free lunches.

“I believe that we look the most like Jesus when we are serving,” Arroyo said. “In Matthew 26 Jesus, said ‘I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.’ It was a privilege and honor to serve Jesus – and boy was he hungry!”

That is why the church will keep the dinner as a community event, Arroyo said.

The church publicized the event in different venues, including the Christians United Outreach Center, which serves the poor each week and is partially supported by the Covenant congregation. The church also canvassed the neighborhood and advertised through the newspaper.

“One of our elementary schools made copies of our flyers and gave one to each of their children whose families are struggling,” Arroyo said.