By Jennifer Colosimo
Among several community-driven missions, First Baptist Church, Morrow, Ga., started their food pantry many years ago. It is a straightforward operation, inviting community members to pick up a food order once a month, by appointment. It’s run by a team of volunteers who every week work to collect food donations, organize the intake and pack up the donations based on what each individual or family needs.
“What’s been unique about the way we do our food pantry is that having people make appointments to come regularly has allowed for deep relationships between those serving and those being served,” said Devita Parnell, pastor at FBC Morrow.
They’ve established partnerships to stock the pantry with Midwest Food Bank, and while that makes up for a large portion of the food they’re able to use in the pantry, it’s not enough. “We have to supplement it with collection,” Parnell said. “We have an ongoing collection site at the church and people bring items every week. Others give money to be used to purchase groceries and some serve as our shoppers.”
To make that enough, with a congregation of about 70 in regular attendance, Parnell decided to make churchwide collection a focal point in worship, as well. During the month of October, she preached a sermon series called “Hungry.” That included a deep dive into various types of hunger, such as a hunger for companionship or community, courage or commitment. One Sunday, Parnell invited a guest speaker to talk about literal hunger and what it looks like right there in the church’s backyard.
Hunger remains a pressing issue in Clayton County, where 11.9 percent of residents—more than 35,000 people—experience food insecurity. Annually, it would take over $25 million to bridge the gap for those in need. Statewide, the numbers are equally staggering, with 13.1 percent of Georgians, or more than 1.4 million residents, facing food insecurity.
“Since October is traditionally focused on world hunger needs, we decided we could tie in giving toward our food pantry with this theme of hunger that we were focusing on in worship,” Parnell said. “Between our missions committee chair and the food pantry director, we set a goal that would stretch us a little bit. Our plan was to have people bring their items and put them right on the altar table as a part of our worship. Sure, there were people who questioned it; but I felt like as much as our financial gifts are a sacrifice and a part of worship, these gifts were also.”
Parnell believes that giving offering in this manner introduces the idea of community and establishes the church’s mission in worship. It helps people think more deeply about it. It’s more than a handful of canned goods, this is a true gift for someone who needs it, a way to share God’s love with the neighborhood. Parnell and her staff also posted stats about hunger in Clayton County in their bulletin as well as printing prayer requests for specific people in need.
“It was important for us to see that, especially being a smaller congregation,” Parnell shared. “We need that assurance to see the impact of what we can accomplish. And seeing the altar was both motivating and inspiring. We could see that, yes, we can do this.”
While the food pantry at FBC Morrow has always been a ministry of the entire congregation, only about a dozen people are engaged in the hands-on aspect of it on a weekly or monthly basis. Parnell wanted to make sure that the mission of the pantry didn’t get “siloed” into being the focus of only that handful of people. She wanted the entire congregation to be made aware of (and get involved in) all the quiet and faithful ways to minister to the community throughout the week. By bringing this ministry front and central into worship, it gave everyone a way to participate and further its impact.
It worked. FBC Morrow continues to make a huge impact on its community through the food pantry, serving approximately 100 people monthly.
“I think anytime you have a singular focus or goal you are working toward, it allows energy and excitement to build and to bring everyone on board,” said Parnell, nodding to the success they’ve had. “Our congregation is very compassionate and generous, and they want to serve others. I also think that this was particularly successful because food is something everyone can gather around and something that everyone needs. Everyone, no matter what age or ability, goes to the grocery store and can pick up an extra item or two.”
Her encouragement to other small churches wanting to do big things is to just start!
“It is easy to look at bigger churches with more people and more resources and compare; but it’s okay to have your own big dreams about doing something new that will have a huge impact on your community,” she said. “In fact, that was the story of our church 25 years ago, when it helped launch a free medical clinic in our community to meet a critical need. We are much smaller now and can be easily discouraged. But God still has a purpose for us. Our food pantry is a faithful ministry of our church and makes a huge difference in the lives of people in our community. So, it is my hope that in starting with what we do have, God will show us how to expand or go deeper in that ministry and will multiply our efforts far beyond what we could ask or imagine.”
It’s already clear that FBC Morrow is a church that is loving, welcoming and caring. In moving forward, Parnell will ask her members how that can make the pantry about more than just giving out food.
“How will we implement a church banquet for those who come to our pantry so that we’re serving them by sitting at the table with them, getting to know them?” Parnell asked. “Coming from a perspective of empowerment, bringing dignity to people, making deeper connections and not being transactional, let’s go deeper. How do we go beyond the emergency needs that food pantries usually meet?”
FBC Morrow has already begun opening up space at their “table,” recently inviting the youth from Smoke Rise Baptist Church in Tucker, Ga., to get hands-on, helping their small church with various things. They helped prune the prayer garden, clean out storage, shred old papers and sort clothes for an upcoming foster family event.
“I really like the idea of a church-to-church partnership, and hope that this is the beginning of more opportunities for service and exchange,” she said. “It illustrates what can happen when partnerships develop.”
Hint: It’s big things.
This story was originally published in CBF’s Fellowship! magazine. To read more stories like this one, or to order a printed copy of the magazine, please visit: https: cbf.net/fellowship-magazine/