“Jesus Lunch.” That’s a catchy name for what’s become a pretty contentious issue in the city of Middleton, just west of Madison.
Apparently in the fall of 2014, a few Christian moms decided to join their high-school kids for lunch and try to encourage them in their faith. Their meeting place was the City of Middleton’s Fireman’s Park, which is adjacent to the school. Because Middleton High School has an open campus policy for lunch, the students were free to leave the building and join their moms.
As these few kids told their friends, the group began growing and growing and growing. Recently, the moms have been feeding some 500 students.
The students are the ones who gave this lunch program the name “Jesus Lunch.”
The moms have made the lunches free to any kids who show up; and after eating, any students who want can stay for a 3-5 minute devotional or prayer time. No one is compelled to attend the lunch or to stay for the devotional part. They can eat the free home-cooked meal and run, if they want. By the same token, no one is refused if they want to come to the lunch in the park.
So why all the flap over this seemingly refreshing idea? It turns out that the Middleton School District has an arrangement with the City of Middleton to lease the Fireman’s Park each school day from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The School District believes the contract they have signed st ...
