Eighteen years ago, Dr. Michel Brown of First Baptist Church Winthrop Harbor, initiated a small gathering of 75 church congregants to join him in celebrating God’s many blessings.  These dedicated few met within the basement of the church on a cold rainy night in November.   The celebration was marked by the variety of unusual foods served and the grateful spirits of the churchmen. 
The hunting and preparing of wild game has always been a passion of Pastor Brown.  Brown’s vision to celebrate God’s blessings over the eating of deer, antelope, and fish was generated by his rural church upbringing in western North Carolina where they regularly held church fish frys.
After five years of serving the community by means of wild game, First Baptist’s facility could no longer hold the number of interested participants.  At this point FBC began to utilize the Schlader Recreation Center directly across from the church to house the hungry guests.  Seventy-five people grew to 200 guests.  Each additional year added around 50 more participants.  Today, FBC serves more than 650 people during this community event. 
On Saturday November 3rd 2007 at 6:00 to 9:00pm, FBC held their annual Wild Game Dinner.  Preparation for the event took several weeks and required the assistance of 50 or more community volunteers.  Almost every imaginable form of wild game was served.  Deer, goose, pheasant, antelope, and pig were just the beginning of the wealth of food.  Classic dishes were also served during the event, including: green beans, mashed potatoes, and sweet corn.   Volunteers, set up tables, prepared wild game, cooked, cleaned, decorated, along with many other various tasks.  The FBC youth group served in song, dance, and puppet ministry.  Church members both young and old spent the entire day in preparation for the community event.
The result was phenomenal.  Many stayed for hours eating and catching up with old friends.  Several agreed that this is one of the key events they look forward to all year.  Pastor brown writes, “The wild game dinner is a harvest festival celebration of thankfulness to God for His blessings.  It has become an outreach opportunity to the community for our church to say: ‘We love Winthrop Harbor!’”
While smaller communities such as Winthrop Harbor may not gain as much attention as the larger suburbs of Chicago, big-hearted community events are taking place.  FBC’s annual wild game diner will continue to take place as long as the vision of community thankfulness stays in the heart of Pastor Brown and the people he serves.