Waffle Wednesday

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WELCOMING WAFFLES: Student volunteer Melody DeHoyos (West Broward senior) and City Rev intern Anthony Gomez greets Ronnye Corona (Somerset sophomore). Corona comes almost every Wednesday to play Ping Pong and to hang out with friends.

By: Jonathan Gossett, Yosiah Seay

Students flock to City Rev church’s student space, the Refuge, every Wednesday afterschool for fresh, free waffles. Kids and adults from all over Pembroke pines flood to this beloved event, known as Waffle Wednesday.

Waffle Wednesday began in 2013 by City Rev’s former youth pastor, Stephan Humbert. Humbert says he was inspired by Jhon Lewis, an American politician and civil rights activists, and his concept of “good trouble”. The event was originally named “Wednesdays at the Fudge.” Until students started calling it Waffle Wednesday.

“Do they have a space where they can be themselves? That is where the idea really emerged. We open our doors up and let students come in and hang,” said Humbert.

Jeremy Agosto graduated from West Broward in 2018 before going on to intern at City Rev. He is now City Rev’s Next Gen Coordinator, in charge of City Rev’s young adult and student ministries. He makes rounds at Waffle Wednesday, familiarizing himself with the students.

“We look at [Waffle Wednesday] as an opportunity, a tool to share the gospel, the good news, with students that come in. We believe, as a church and as followers of Christ, that the gospel can change a person’s life. We want these students’ lives to be changed,” said Agosto.

Anthony Gomez, another West Broward alumni, works at City Rev as their Chief Check-in Officer at their student ministry on Wednesday nights. He is also a greeter at Waffle Wednesday, directing students to the Waffle Line.

“We give [students] an opportunity to serve them, to love them. School is stressful, school is hard, and a lot of the time it may be exhausting, and you know what would make anyone feel better? A waffle,” said Gomez.

The concept of a “third place” between home and school isn’t a new one. Third places, like parks or clubs, offers a counterbalance to work or home stress as well as unstructured social time, giving students a chance to build stronger relationships.

“It’s more than just free food, it’s a place between school and home, where you can interact with people you normally wouldn’t. It’s calming and inclusive”, said West Broward Sophomore, Ayana Rodriguez.

Students aren’t the only ones gathering for Waffle Wednesday. Joe and Liz Mason serve alongside other adult volunteers, mixing batter, prepping irons, and talking with students waiting in line.

“God put it on my heart to come visit the Waffle Wednesday people. I did, and my heart melted, and I wanted to come to serve and pray for those young souls coming in,” said Joe Mason.

Waffle Wednesday offers more than just a free snack, it offers a sense of belonging. The busy Ping pong and Foosball tables, alongside crowded couches and sugary steam has turned the Fuge into an after-school oasis for students for the last 12 years.

“Our objective is not only to serve waffles. We want to create a space that is safe for our students, a space where they can hang out and a space where they can know that there is a local church that is present in their community,” said Agosto.