This was God's vision from the get-go, said the Rev. Randy Upgren.

"This" is a ministry to Bismarck's Riverside neighborhood that's ready to launch on Tuesday, said Upgren, who is on the pastoral staff at Charity Lutheran Church in Bismarck.

Upgren said that the last weeks before launching a project are the most stressful, but he is "100 percent convinced this is what God wants us to be doing."

The ministry to the Riverside School neighborhood will take the form of a free meal each Tuesday at the school, open to all in the neighborhood and to others as well.

Acore team from Charity has taken the lead in putting together the weekly meal as an opportunity to get to know the people in the neighborhood.

The first meal will be this Tuesday, with serving from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Riverside School, said volunteer Kris Morrissette. The group expects to serve about 170 people each week.

The core group also is inviting police and fire department people to share the meal each week,Upgren said, to show appreciation for them and to benefit neighborhood kids whomay have only experienced them in adversarial situations.

The school system has been very helpful and cooperative throughout the planning stages, Upgren said. "We're thankful for their cooperation; this is a win-win situation being formed," he said. "Teachers should be revered. They need support."

The core team wants to broaden the ministry's base to include anybody in the community who wants to volunteer their time or make donations of cash, supplies or food for the ministry. About seven people are needed to assist the core group each week, volunteer Kathy Schneider said. The group estimates that each weekly meal will cost about $700.

"Charity will get the ball rolling - hopefully, a snowball that grows," Upgren said.

"We'd like to stress that we're involving the community at large," Upgren said, "letting God teach us about loving our neighbor."

Upgren has seen at his church how volunteerism can snowball when people from all ages and lifestyles "cross the barrier," make the leap from self-consciousness to become outgoing and involved with people.

"It's gratifying to see (their) faith life expanding in this way,"he said. "There's no replacement for action. You create opportunities for people (to serve). That's the most effective."

"We're going down (to the neighborhood) to provide a hot meal and minister to them," said volunteer Mitch Griess. "Especially to the kids, who are so gifted, to encourage them, get to know them."

Inevitably, volunteers walk out feeling they got more out of the experience than the people they're helping, Upgren said.

Schneider said she has a sign in her kitchen that speaks to her about this ministry: "The company makes the feast."

Like the Farm Rescue effort, this ministry is about people coming together, Schneider said. "People are looking for ways to be neighbors, live in shared community."

For more information, call Beth Allen at 258-1228 or e-mail charluth@;btinet.net.

(Reach reporter Karen Herzog at 250-8267 or karen.herzog@;bismarcktribune.com.)