Call it twenty-five years, two and a half decades, a quarter century or 9,132 days.

Whatever you call it, the people of Koinonia Christian Fellowship are excited and ready to celebrate their church’s big anniversary in many ways. One of those ways is the creation of a cookbook. Church Secretary Lorri Mabee has collected and compiled the congregant’s favorite recipes and is in the process of printing the book.

​The church was planted by Pastor Ron and Sheila Lemon on July 9, 1999, with 12 people present. For nearly 20 years, services were held in the former Trinity United Methodist Church, now The Relief Zone, in Frewsburg. An opportunity became available in 2017 for the church to purchase its current location in the former Stillwater United Methodist Church in Kiantone. The first service in the new building took place in September of that year while Stillwater UMC was still meeting earlier in the morning at the same location. On January 31, 2018, Koinonia Christian Fellowship took possession of their new church.

“I’m really happy to see it coming to life again. We spent a lot of years from having a lively church to going to 15 people.” says Irene Turck, who was instrumental in contacting Pastor Ron Lemon about the availability of the church and is now a regular attendee of KCF.

Before the current building was acquired, a ten-acre parcel was purchased with the goal of building a church. The acreage and pavilion is an ideal location for picnics, outdoor concerts and more.

An anniversary year overnight bus trip to The Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Ky., has added to the excitement. The seats on the 56-passenger coach sold out quickly for the mid-August event.

“I’m very excited,” Brenda Rissel expresses. “I’ve been wanting to go for a very long time, but I didn’t want to go alone.”

The highlight of the silver jubilee celebration will be a week-long series of special speakers coming from Arkansas, Michigan, Indiana, Florida, Pennsylvania and New York. The series kick-off will begin on Sunday, July 14, at the 10:30 a.m.service with a concert performed by Denver Bierman, formerly of the Mile High Orchestra. The speaker series begins that evening at 6:30 p.m. will take place each night through Saturday, July 20. Refreshments will be served each evening and all are invited to attend.

The celebration will pick up again on Sunday morning, July 21, and culminate with a picnic to be held after the morning service.

A cookbook is an appropriate memento of the silver anniversary, since food plays a big part in many church functions and gatherings. A tureen dinner is held before the weekly Bible studies, where those wishing may bring a dish to share. Pizza is always on hand at the bi-weekly men’s group meetings. The annual harvest dinner and a Christmas dinner concert have been very popular with the church family and friends over the last few years and mother-daughter banquets are very well-attended.

Spaghetti dinners have been held with the proceeds from the most recent going toward mission trips. The local Christian school benefited from the last of two chili cook-offs. At various times over the years, hot dogs and burgers have been given out as an outreach, along with gospel tracks and the offer of prayer.

Because Pastor Lemon has an aversion to onions in any form, he jokingly pleads for onion-free dishes for all church functions that involve food. On September 18, 2022, he challenged the congregation to encourage others to attend. Surprisingly, he promised he would take a bite from an onion when the attendance reached 100. Two months later, the pastor not only took that bite, but went back for a second. Unknowingly, a family of four who was visiting the church for the first time, took the count from 99 to 103. That family has been active in the church ever since and the father has become a member, is the praise band’s bass guitar player and is a new trustee.

The church garden was begun in 2022 under the leadership of Master Gardener and member Sharon Reed. It was originally thought the garden would be planted on the 10 acres the church purchased on Warren Road in Frewsburg in 2001, with the goal of one day building a church. But, Mrs. Reed decided the garden’s location should be changed on the day she drove by the church and saw the sun shining down on its back yard. Soon after, church deacon and carpenter, Mike Barber, built raised garden boxes. The people brought their wheelbarrows and shovels in order to move composted soil, donated by Slab City Organics, to the boxes. Seeds and plants were put into the rich soil and soon, tender green sprouts appeared. Kale, tomatoes, lettuce, squash, radishes, peppers and beans were shared for many weeks.

Recipes for using God’s bounty have been included in the cookbook, as well as those from other categories. Grandma Henry’s Sour Cream Cookies recipe has special meaning to Barb Swanson. She searched for 58 years for a recipe that tasted exactly the way her grandmother’s did, discovering her friend had the perfect one all along.

“It sort of tastes like lemon, but there is no lemon in them,” says Mrs. Swanson.

Sue Barber has fond memories of her father, Norm Hultman’s Date-Nut Bread, which he baked and gave to each of his daughters for Christmas, prior to his passing in 2020 at the age of 90.

The cookbook will not be sold, but each family attending the special week-long services may have one while supplies last.

Koinonia Christian Fellowship is located at 1427 Peck Settlement Road, near Stillwater Corners. Sunday School is at 9:30 a.m., worship service at 10:30 a.m., Bible study Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., with dinner at 6 p.m., Men’s Group is bi-weekly on Monday at 6:30 p.m. and prayer meeting is the first Sunday at 6:30 p.m..

An elevator is accessible inside the door near the handicap parking. For more information call 716-720-5726 or 716-499-8549.

ORANGE CUSTARD

SHEILA JOHNSON

2 c whole milk

½ c sugar

¼ c cornstarch

4 egg yolks

1 tsp fresh orange zest

1 T orange juice

2 tsp vanilla

1 T butter

Heat milk in medium saucepan until hot, but not boiling. While milk is heating, put sugar and cornstarch in a mixing bowl. Whisk together. With an electric mixer or by hand, whisk egg yolks into sugar mixture until pale yellow. Whisk in zest, juice and vanilla. Remove milk from heat. While whisking/mixing on low speed, very slowly pour heated milk into egg mixture. Mix slowly until combined. Pour mixture back into saucepan and place over medium heat. Heat and whisk continuously for 5 minutes, until custard has thickened to consistency of thick pudding. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Pour into large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing wrap onto top of custard to prevent skin from forming. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.

PINEAPPLE WHIP

CINDY ANDERSON

2 c frozen pineapple chunks

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

½ c chilled heavy whipping cream

Add all ingredients to food processor. Blend until smooth.

WHITE GAZPACHO

SHARON REED

3 medium cucumbers, peeled

1 clove garlic

3 c chicken broth (cooled) or 3 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 3 c of water

3 c sour cream

3 T white vinegar

2 tsp salt

Cut cucumbers into chunks. Using a blender, blend a small amount of the broth and the cucumbers until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend to mix. Chill thoroughly. Serve in 1 cup servings. Suggested toppings-sliced green onions, chopped toasted almonds, chopped fresh parsley and chopped tomatoes.

GRANDMA HENRY’S SOUR CREAM COOKIES

BARB SWANSON

2 c sugar

1 c shortening

2 eggs

1 c sour cream

2/3 c buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

5-6 c flour

2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

Beat sugar and shortening together. Add eggs, sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla and combine. Add 5 cups flour and the rest of the dry ingredients. Combine. Add enough of remaining flour to make a soft dough. Chill at least two hours. Roll out on floured surface. Bake in 350 oven for 10-12 minutes.

DATE AND NUT BREAD

SUE BARBER

2 c sugar

2 T butter

2 eggs

3 c flour

1-8oz package dates, chopped

2 tsp soda

2 tsp vanilla

2 c hot water

¼ lb nuts

Combine sugar, butter, eggs, and flour in a large bowl. In separate bowl, combine dates, soda, vanilla, hot water and nuts. Let soak for 10 minutes. Combine with flour mixture. Bake in two 8- or 9-inch pans in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes or until done.

SUMMER SQUASH CASSEROLE

RHONDA SKELTON

2 medium summer squash, diced

1 large zucchini, diced

½ lb fresh mushrooms

1 c chopped onion, optional

2 T olive oil

2 c shredded cheddar cheese

1 can mushroom soup

½ c sour cream

½ tsp salt

1 c crushed butter-flavored crackers

1 T butter, melted

In a large skillet, sauté vegetables in the olive oil until tender. Drain. In a large bowl, combine cheese, soup, sour cream and salt. Stir in vegetables. Pour into 11-inch by 7-inch baking dish. Combine crackers and butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle over vegetables. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Makes approximately 10 servings.