Ottawa’s First United Methodist Church to host 20th annual spaghetti lunch and dinner

First United Methodist Church will host its 20th annual spaghetti lunch and dinner on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at the 100 W. Jefferson St. in Ottawa.

The meals will feature the church’s traditional sauce recipe.

Lunch time is 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with curbside pickup on Columbus Street and delivery available. Dinner time is 4 to 6:30 p.m. with curbside pickup.

Cost is $13 for spaghetti, salad, bread and homemade dessert. Tickets can be purchased through church members prior to the event or at the event.

Funds will support the ongoing work of the church.

Following the event, the church will offer containers of sauce for sale at $12 for 28 ounces (three to four servings) and $35 for a gallon. Sauce sales do not begin until the day after the event and availability is not guaranteed.

First United Methodist Church in Ottawa is the oldest chartered Christian congregation in the city, founded in 1832. The congregation worships at 9 a.m. Sundays in the oldest church building in Ottawa, dedicated in 1866, but with modern amenities such as air conditioning and an elevator. The current pastor is Rev. Seamus Enright, an ordained elder in the Northern Illinois Conference appointed to Ottawa in 2022. Weekly church services are posted online at YouTube with links through the church website and Facebook page.

For more information on the spaghetti lunch and dinner, go to http://www.ottawafirstumc.org/spaghetti-fundraiser.html.