Sweet Fellowship
Building Community Over Sunsets and Frozen Custard
Dale and Teri Gieske (Custard Cabin)
Edited by Shari Martin
Have you ever experienced what you felt was a God appointment? A time when the right people came together at just the right time? For EdenRidge, one of those moments led to an unexpected partnership with The Custard Cabin, a frozen custard shop in Crossville, Tennessee, now owned by Dale and Teri Gieske.
The connection began after Dale and Teri visited the Crossville area on vacation and discovered The Custard Cabin, which was for sale. After returning home, Teri’s mother, Louise, heard EdenRidge President Oliver Dossmann share his story with Wayne Shepherd on First Person on Moody Radio. She discovered EdenRidge was just minutes from where they had stayed. It was one of several unexpected connections that Dale and Teri believed were pointing them toward Crossville.
God’s timing was amazing! A few months later, while in Tennessee on a house-hunting trip and making plans to purchase The Custard Cabin, Dale and Teri decided to visit EdenRidge. Their schedule was full, but Dale was insistent: “Oh, we must go to EdenRidge.” On April 1, 2022, they drove up the mountain unannounced and met Françoise Dossmann in the Welcome Center.
Dale and Teri
During their visit, Françoise told them something remarkable. Earlier that same day, EdenRidge staff and volunteers had been discussing ways to introduce the surrounding community to EdenRidge. One idea was to invite people to enjoy the sunset over ice cream. But someone in the meeting spoke up. “No, we can’t have ice cream. We have to have custard from the Custard Cabin.”
“My jaw about hit the floor as Françoise was telling us this,” Dale remembers. He and Teri hadn't yet told many people that they were in the process of purchasing The Custard Cabin. They finally told Françoise that, if everything went as planned, they would become its new owners on June 1.
Françoise gathered the others who were there to hear their story and called Oliver. When he arrived, Dale and Teri told the story again. “Bonds were formed that day in person, but they just felt like bonds that had been formed long ago by God,” Dale says.
“Bonds were formed that day in person, but they just felt like bonds that had been formed long ago by God,” Dale says.
That conversation eventually led to Sunsets & Frozen Custard, a monthly gathering where EdenRidge opens its doors to the surrounding community. There is no fundraising component and no big program. People come to enjoy frozen custard, walk around World Missions Park, watch the sunset and spend time together.
“We simply wanted to open our doors, welcome our neighbors, and give them a chance to experience EdenRidge,” Oliver says.
The evenings often draw around 100 people. Some already know EdenRidge, while others come with friends or discover the event through social media. For many, it’s their first opportunity to see the property and learn about the ministry.
For some, that first visit led to something more. “We have had several people who first discovered EdenRidge by attending a Sunset & Frozen Custard evening and later became volunteers,” Oliver says.
Since taking stewardship of The Custard Cabin on June 1, 2022, Dale and Teri have continued to support the gatherings by providing the frozen custard. What started as a connection between EdenRidge and a local business has also grown into a friendship.
“Dale and Teri have become good friends, and that means a great deal to me personally,” Oliver says. “I appreciate who they are as people, and I respect and appreciate them as local business owners who care about their community.”
EdenRidge also enjoys returning the support by encouraging its guests to stop by the Custard Cabin while they are in the area.
What began with an unexpected connection has become a summer tradition that brings neighbors together, introduces new people to EdenRidge, and has even led some to become involved with the ministry.
“It has just been a tremendous blessing to be working with them towards outreach to the community,” Dale says.
Perhaps that’s the sweetest part of the story: the fellowship that has grown from one remarkable God appointment!
Sunsets & Frozen Custard is held on the second Friday of each month, May through October.
We are grateful to Dale and Teri for their friendship, generosity, and the way they’re helping EdenRidge welcome our community.
You can learn more about Dale and Teri and The Custard Cabin at https://www.custardcabin.com/.
"Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!"
Psalm 66:5 (NIV)
Was your stay meaningful? We'd love to hear how God used your time at EdenRidge.
Email us at rest@edenridge.org and we'll schedule a short conversation with you.