Naomi Terklidsen, 8, helps herself to food from the potluck table Sunday afternoon at the Central United Methodist Church, 1501 Mass. The church holds a potluck lunch one Sunday a month after morning services.

Nadine Snyder fills her plate at the event at Central.

Ruth Dent may be 93 years old, but that doesn’t stop her from bringing her famous sour cream raisin pies to Central United Methodist Church’s carry-in dinners every month.

“Everybody likes the pie, so I keep bringing it,” Dent says.

Dent, who lives in a duplex at Lawrence Presbyterian Manor, moved to Lawrence 17 years ago and has been attending her church’s potluck dinners ever since.

“I go to them because I like to eat, and I enjoy being with people,” Dent says.

Churches around Lawrence, including Central United Methodist Church, use potluck dinners as a way for the congregation to enjoy good food and meet other church members.

Geneva Pohl, a kitchen committee member at Central United Methodist Church, 1501 Mass., says the church has potluck fellowship dinners the third Sunday of each month. The church provides fried chicken and rolls, while people bring side dishes. The church also has an annual Thanksgiving dinner in November.

“We’ve done this for a number of years,” Pohl says. “We encourage people to visit with new people and visitors.”

First Baptist Church, 1330 Kasold Drive, has a potluck dinner the first Wednesday of each month and has dinners for other special occasions. Eva Edmands, the volunteer administrative assistant at the church, says the annual Thanksgiving dinner is the biggest potluck of the year and attracts more than 150 people. She says the church provides the turkey, while members bring casserole dishes, soups, salads and desserts.

“We have a lot of good cooks, so we have a lot of good dishes,” Edmands says.

First Presbyterian Church, 2415 Clinton Parkway, has potluck dinners throughout the year for important events and holidays, including Valentine’s Day and Easter, says Larry Schlosser, the chairman of special events. He says the church has two services on Sunday, 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., which can create two congregations within the church.

“This dinner serves to bring the two congregations together,” Schlosser says. “People that normally go to the early service get a chance to meet people that go to the later one.”