Grants and community partners feed a community
Walton Award winner aims to expand and renovate a larger, more accessible space
When Kristin Kondratowski first stepped into the vacant Wiley’s Pharmacy building in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, she wasn’t expecting to cry. But as she toured the space with a realtor, she discovered something extraordinary: a drive-thru window and a full-sized, accessible shower. “I just stood there with tears streaming down my face,” she said. “This is it. This is where we can serve people who live in their cars, who need a place to shower, who need dignity.”
That moment marked a turning point for Our Table, a rapidly growing dinner church and new worshiping community in Strasburg. Founded by Kristin and her husband, Walter Kondratowski, Our Table began with a simple but powerful vision: to feed people — physically and spiritually — in a community where poverty is often hidden behind the idyllic backdrop of farmland and good public schools.
Walter, who at the time was on staff at First Presbyterian Church of Strasburg as well as another church in the area, felt called to plant a church after attending a post-pandemic church planting conference. “During Covid, we were boots on the ground, meeting tangible needs,” he said. “I wanted to bring that back — to create a space where people could eat, worship and be known.”
Kristin joined Walter in the creating a community with a bold mission statement: “We Feed Hungry People.” With support from the church’s pastor, the Rev. Robert Bronkema, they launched Our Table in the church’s fellowship hall on Black Friday 2022. Our Table quickly grew, serving 80–93 people weekly with a communal meal, Bible study, prayer and worship. Kristin described the accessible approach to communal gatherings and the all-volunteer leadership model that includes their teenage daughters and other families by saying, “Everyone gets to play, and nobody gets paid.”
But the growth came with challenges. The fellowship hall was reaching capacity, and the shared 10-by-10-foot storage closet was no longer sufficient. Accessibility issues also became apparent, especially for attendees with mobility needs, because Our Table serves an aging population as well as staff who work in homes for adults with disabilities. “Last Thanksgiving, a man in a full-sized wheelchair had to be wheeled to another wing of the building to use the restroom,” Kristin recalled. “His staff had to roll him down the hallway multiple times. That broke my heart.”
The Kondratowskis began searching for a permanent home and found it in the historic Wiley’s Pharmacy building at 300 Historic Drive. Centrally located and well-known in the community, the space offers not only accessibility but also the potential for expanded ministry — including showers, laundry and eventually a kitchen.
Their vision received a major boost this fall when Our Table was awarded a $50,000 Walton Grant from the 1001 New Worshiping Communities initiative of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The grant, recommended by the Mission Development Resources Committee, supports NWCs that creatively bring the gospel to their communities. For Our Table, the funds will help secure the lease and begin renovations for a kitchen. According to the Rev. Dr. Bethany Fox and the Rev. Dr. Karen Rohrer, co-chairs of the committee who approved the grant, Our Table exemplifies the values of the Walton Award and demonstrates “a clear, impactful vision for creating lasting change” in its community.
“We launched a campaign called ‘30 Days to 300 Historic,’” Walter said. “It started on Sept. 27 — the 300th day of the year — and ends Oct. 27. Our hope is to move in on our third birthday, the Friday after Thanksgiving.”
The campaign is supported by weekly YouTube videos and outreach from their 10-member leadership board. Donations are processed through the Presbytery of Donegal, which also provides bookkeeping and administrative support. “Our presbytery has been incredibly supportive,” Kristin said, naming leaders like the Rev. Dr. Erin Cox-Holmes, the Rev. Dr. Michael Wilson, and the Rev. Doug Friant, who have helped with communion, Bible study and governance. The Rev. Debbie Bronkema has been their coach through 1001 New Worshiping Communities.
Walter is currently under care as an inquirer at the Presbytery of Donegal. He also serves as a ministry coach through Ad Lib Music, a company that equips churches with interim worship directors while they are looking to hire a permanent worship director. He currently serves as interim worship director for Cocalico Community Church in Reinholds, Pennsylvania, while Kristin now serves as the youth director at First Presbyterian of Strasburg.
As the Kondratowskis balance multiple ministry jobs and parenting four kids at home, the couple is taking turns meeting the ordination standards of the PC(USA). When Walter finishes seminary, it’s Kristin’s turn. Kristin credited leaders like the Rev. Michael Gehrling and the Rev. Sara Hayden with 1001 New Worshiping Communities and their programs for Discerning Missional Leadership and Apprenticeship as affirming a call to ordained ministry that she had not previously imagined when she was younger and involved in other churches.
“Like many new worshiping communities, community partnerships have been essential to the success of Our Table,” said the Rev. Nikki Collins, manager for 1001 NWC. First Presbyterian Church of Strasburg provided free space and storage. Trailcrest Farm donates high-quality Angus beef at reduced prices. And Blessings of Hope, a local food distribution ministry, allows Our Table to purchase food at 34 cents per pound. “We’ve fed over 100 people for $20 and still had leftovers,” Kristin said. “We try to spend money, and God keeps putting it back.”
Looking ahead, Walter Kondratowski hopes to empower more leaders to take ownership of the ministry and possibly expand to other underserved areas. “We planted a church in the margins of our lives,” he said. “Now we want others to step into leadership and see God work.”
Kristin Kondratowski added, “We want everyone to have a seat at our table — no matter their age, ability or circumstance.”
To learn more or support the campaign, visit Our Table’s website.
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