SOUTH POINT — As the teens were pouring out soft drinks at a buffet table in the church’s gym, the women of Tri-State Baptist Temple were busy putting trays of chicken in the oven.

All this cooking Friday afternoon had a single purpose — to provide a good home-cooked meal for the South Point High football team and cheerleaders. The reason was to host the team and cheerleaders to a dinner before the home game that night against Lucasville.

“As a church we want to let our young people in the community know we are interested in them and what they are doing,” Tim Jenkins, pastor of Tri-State Baptist, explained. “We are so close to the high school. We want to let all the young people at the school know our church is here to be an encouragement to what they are doing.”

The women of the church had started around noon Friday to start preparing the menu of barbecue chicken, green beans, baked potatoes, rolls, salad and homemade brownies.

The Wednesday night before, the teen group of the church, called The Lively Stones, turned the gym into a festive dining room. They had painted posters with the players’ names on them and hung them on the walls, set and decorated tables and clustered balloons in the school’s colors by the dozens to decorate the entrance to the church’s gym.

The church plans a comparable dinner on Oct. 17 for the high school band. Also every Friday night during home games, the church hosts an after-game party with a bonfire, pizza and games.

All this is part of continuing youth outreach by Tri-State Baptist.