Blue Zones and Dinner Clubs: AIRDRIE’S GOAL TO BECOME CANADA'S HEALTHIEST CITY

On January 19th, after only two weeks in Airdrie, I walked into the Airdrie Town and Country Centre and was pleasantly surprised with what I found. I saw more members from the community than I saw members from my church. For 19 years the Airdrie Seventh-day Adventist church has been hosting the Vegetarian Dinner Club. Each month, the club meets to share a delicious vegetarian potluck followed by a professional talk on a variety of health and wellness topics. This day was no different.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with some of the members from the community, including the Jane family. As we got to know one another better, they shared with me that they, given their Indian family background, have been vegetarian their whole lives. Atul, the eldest son, added how much he appreciated Adventism’s commitment to a healthy, holistic lifestyle.

As a new resident and pastor in Airdrie, I was so impressed with the dozens of community members who were enthusiastically connected to the club. This ministry is such an important outreach in Airdrie, and, perhaps, now more than ever. The city of Airdrie is committed to becoming Rolling out the dough at Airdrie Seventh-day Adventist Church's Vegetarian Dinner Club.

Canada’s first Blue Zone, with the initiative launching citywide this May. The Vegetarian Dinner Club is just one of the many ministries that the church here in Airdrie is offering to the community that fit right in with the city’s goal.

Our church currently offers a number of health and wellness programs through the Better Living Center. Given our history as Adventists with Blue Zones, we want to invite all those in the Calgary Metropolitan Region to join with us, at this significant time, to reach out to our community with the right arm of the gospel. To find out more about the Vegetarian Dinner Club, other events and ways in which we are working in Airdrie to aid it in becoming Canada’s first Blue Zone, please visit our website at www.airdriebetterlivingcentre.ca.

Rolling out the dough at Airdrie Seventh-day Adventist Church's Vegetarian Dinner Club.