While many families in Cedartown will be rushing around on Christmas Eve, preparing meals for their own family, one local church will be busy cooking for a much larger family —the city’s needy.

Glad Tidings Church of God in Christ will host a free Christmas dinner for the Cedartown community on Monday, Dec. 24.

Meals will be served from the church, 703 Robert L. Parks Blvd., from noon until 2:30 p.m.

And while the event is a huge undertaking for church members, they won’t be cutting corners. They’re doing it up right. Ham, turkey, dressing, greens, yams, cranberry sauce, cake and bread will be on the menu this year, and food will be served with a smile by church members.

During the meal, church member Joan Carnes will have a table set up containing clothes, dishes and other items to give to families in need.

The meals are all prepared by 10-15 church members who volunteer their time cooking, serving the meals and cleaning up afterwards. The members begin to plan and coordinate the meal weeks ahead of time and begin cooking the day before the meal is served.

Bishop Henderson Spivey has been the church’s pastor for 29 years. Everyone is welcome,” Spivey said. “Regardless of color, creed, or race. The Lord stretches the food.”