Answering the call: Christians fight hunger with frontline ministries

LUBBOCK—Christians serve on the frontlines as war is waged on hunger.

In the effort to alleviate hunger and spread the hope of Christ, Texas Baptists are teaming up across the state to make a difference with a variety of resources and skills. From giving to praying, Christians are on the frontlines of a devastating issue.

In recent weeks, the Baptist General Convention of Texas has received at least a call a week from churches looking to start hunger ministries. Many of the calls are in response to the BGCT’s Texas Hope 2010 initiative to share the gospel with every Texan by Easter 2010 and care for the hungry throughout the state.

Spreading hope by meeting people’s physical needs was one of Jesus’ ministries on earth, said BGCT Christian Life Commission Director Suzii Paynter. Feeding programs are an answer to Christ’s call to attend to the needs of the less fortunate.

“When you are responsible for feeding people, you connect with them and learn to love them in a different way,” Paynter said. “In ministry, when you move close to people, a spiritual connection is created. That is how people change.”

First Baptist Church in Lewisville provides sack lunches to about 250 needy children a day, five days a week throughout the summer. (PHOTOS/Crystal Donahue)

First Baptist Church in Lewisville and CityChurch in Amarillo are two congregations that have been caring for people in need, focusing especially children.

“We’re feeding about 250 kids a day, five days a week for the whole summer,” said Judge Camp, chair of the church’s Christian life ministry team.

Bringing together volunteers from the elderly to children, the summer feeding program has involved the entire church. Camp said volunteers are split into different ministries. Children draw pictures and write Bible verses on the sack lunches while adults re-package bulk supplies like cookies and sandwiches, and stuff the paper bags.

“It is important to include everyone—from the smallest kid to the oldest adult,” Camp said.

A small group of volunteers will then deliver the food out into the community.

“The Bible tells us to go out and help people,” Camp said. “When we deliver the lunches, we talk to the kids and get to know them. We tell them who we represent.”

The church adopted a mobile home park and an apartment complex because it knows children cannot come to the church on their own to be fed. The church has teamed up with other individuals and organizations, like Christian Community Action, to expand its hunger ministry.

“This needs to be a community mission,” said Joyce Milligan, a volunteer at First Baptist Church. “We need to share Christ and spread the message that we care. We can show them we love them and reach out to them with a smile and a touch.”

By feeding local children, the congregation seeks to plant seeds of hope into the community, showing them God’s people care.

Through the ministry, volunteers have seen first-hand that Christ’s love is contagious. One summer day, as the vehicles pulled up to the mobile home park and volunteers began passing out sack lunches to hundreds of children, a man—who had been observing the volunteers—got out of his van and approached the crowd.

“Who are you?” he asked.

One of the volunteers explained his group was from First Baptist Church, and they were providing free food for children because God had called them to reach out into the community.

The man handed the volunteers $101.

“Take this money and feed them,” he said. “These children need to be fed.”

Then he left.

“God always provides,” Milligan said.

Unexpected blessings are often common in faith-based hunger ministries.

CityChurch in Amarillo not only delivers food to more than 2,200 children a day, and offers free summer camps and 10 sessions of Vacation Bible School to children from low-income families.

Like in the case of CityChurch Amarillo—a 300-member congregation that delivers food to more than 2,200 children a day, and offers free summer camps and 10 sessions of Vacation Bible School.

“It’s a tremendous job,” said Don Lane, pastor of CityChurch in Amarillo. “The burden is so difficult and hard, and the situations going on with our children are so bad that sometimes we cry out hopelessly.”

But severe circumstances have pushed the church to minister to hurting children even more, Worship Leader Rod Hester said.

“Behind some of the doors of these houses, there are drug deals and prostitution going on,” he said, “But that just drives us harder. We don’t know what will happen if we teach this generation and reach out to these kids.”

Children should not suffer because of their parents’ drug and alcohol addictions and monetary irresponsibility, Lane said.

“Behind all those adults there are little bitty children who have never been saved and have never been exposed to the gospel,” he said. “They need to be fed physically, and they need to be fed spiritually.”

Lunches cost the church $1.50 per bag and include a day’s worth of nutrition, Lane said. But most importantly, the food is delivered right to the children’s doors.

“Driving by and pitching lunches out the window is not what we do,” Lane said. “We get out of the vans and talk and pray with them, and bring them to church and Bible study if they want. They know we love them.”

The church believes that by feeding children physically, they are reaching them spiritually, which will have an eternal influence on their lives. The summer programming costs the church $12,000. In addition to the effort, the church also sends a bag of groceries home with children who attend church on Sundays.

“It’s a real challenge because we’re a small church,” Lane said. “But we are dedicated to providing spiritual and physical nourishment to children.”
During difficult times, God always provides, Lane said.

“It’s a faith operation and it’s hard, but one day the church is going to have to answer to the Lord why we let this go on,” he said.

Fifty children have made professions of faith already this summer. Lane said in past years, the children’s salvations have had a large impact on their parents who are also accepting Christ as their personal Savior.

How to help

To donate to the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger, contact Joyce Gilbreath at 888-244-9400, or visit www.bgct.org/give . For more information about the offering, visit www.bgct.org/worldhunger .
 
For more information on featured ministries:

City Church in Amarillo—one dollar feeds a child for the day: citychurchamarillo.com/filthebag.html

Minnie’s Food Pantry in Plano—$5.40 feeds a family of four for one week: www.thegivingmovement.org/minniesplace.asp

First Baptist Church in Lewisville—$1.50 delivers a lunch to a child’s house: www.fbclewisville.org/
Texas Hunger Initiative—three-part strategy to end hunger in Texas by 2015: Contact Jeremy Everett at 254-339-3242 or Suzii Paynter at 512-789-5702.

Angel Food Ministries—provides high quality food at lower prices: www.angelfoodministries.com/
Baptist Crisis Center in Midland: www.gofbcmissions.org/regional.html