Vessels to Serve serving up a wonderful evening
Emma Ogren, Staff Writer
Graphic courtesy of Hayley De Gonzalez
On November 20, the North Greenville University art department will be holding a charity event called Vessels to Serve. The event will take place in Moore Hall at 7 p.m.
Tickets are on sale now and are $20 per person. Included in the ticket price is a handmade bowl, created by a student and a potluck dinner provided by staff.
The dinner provided will be hearty entrees, such as soup. There will also be sides, such as bread.
The first time this event was held was in 2019. It has not been held since, mostly due to COVID-19 restrictions. The staff and students are excited to bring it back and hope to make it an annual event.
Art students with a ceramic concentration have been creating bowls for the event. Each ticketholder will get to pick out their own bowl and it will occur in a first come first served style.
The event will be acting as a fundraiser for the Set Free Alliance. Set Free is “an evangelical organization that happens to do humanitarian work,” according to their website.
Their main goal is to make disciples all over the world, but within that focus, they understand that they cannot make disciples if children are enslaved and mothers are too weak to understand. They hope to first solve these big problems, then teach the gospel.
In India, many children are forced to work when their parents cannot pay back loans. Set Free pays off these loans and helps these families become families again.
According to the art department chair, Hayley De Gonzalez, Set Free has, “been focusing on rescuing those children reuniting with their families and setting up stable communities for them.”
They also offer free medical care, give clean water and plant churches in impoverished countries.
At the event, the CEO of Set Free will be speaking. Sarah Kelley will be discussing the organization and what they have been doing recently though their ministry.
In addition to the speaker, there will be classical music as entertainment. Rachel Roberts, department chair of English, will be playing the piano. De Gonzalez’s son will be playing the cello.
Students who helped to create the bowls will also be helping with other tasks during the event. A few will be dedicated to washing and drying the bowls that they have created. They will also pack them up for people to take home.
Art student Mary Young said about the event, “I’m praying for the Holy Spirit to move and truly touch hearts. I’m hoping for a smooth, joy-filled evening—full of fellowship, serving, and genuine connection. And I’m praying over the speaker as well, that every word spoken is Spirit-led and covered in love.”
Another art student, Madeline Holsenback, said, “I’m excited for people to get to take home a bowl and I hope they learn whatever God has in store for them.”
In the future, they hope to expand in themes for the event. De Gonzalez said, “in the future, what if we want to have mugs and have an ice cream social? The ‘vessels’ is ambiguous so we can mix it up.”
