Jun
24
Written by:
Different Voice
6/24/2009 7:00 AM
I've had food on my mind lately, and not just because I'm counting calories. When you live in a state dominated by agriculture, it's hard to avoid the topic. Conversations about the state of the crops fill the noon hour on the radio (did you know that global warming may be reducing wind speeds, which in turn causes crops to overheat?), and the two CSAs I belong to give me weekly opportunities to connect with people who are passionate about local food.
But the primary reason I'm thinking about food is that I'm leading a team that is planning an event called, "All Ames Eats Together." The idea came about when the fundraising committee of an assistance organization in my town started talking about the dip in donations that happens this time of year. Since we give out Healthy Food Vouchers, we are aware that talking about healthy food is very important when thinking about poverty issues. And indeed, any community that talks incessantly (as Ames does) about "progress" towards a new mall, if the city should buy up houses to add turn lanes at a major intersection, and whether or not to cut recess and art from the school schedule certainly should engage in a vigorous conversation about the most basic topic around: food security.
So we're encouraging everyone in our town to have dinner with others on July 29th while they talk about food and food security. Several places around town—churches and community parks—will be the locations for community potlucks. But we're also encouraging people to plan their own gathering at a restaurant, in their homes, or at another location of their choosing. We'll have questions available on table tents (and on the web) for people to talk about, and we'll take up a free-will offering for the Healthy Food Voucher program.
I'll share more with you about the event after it's over, but I encourage you to think about the ways you can provide a space for conversation around food and faith with your congregation's or community's members. Could you...
- go see and then discuss the new documentary Food, Inc. with a group of young adults?
- sponsor a weekly farmer's market trip, followed by a time when everyone cooks a week's food together?
- plant, work in, or visit a community or organic garden as part of your VBS? (My own congregation just did all three of these!)
- organize a group to start serving meals regularly at a homeless shelter?
- create a breakfast group for low-income children?
- engage youth in conversation about the appropriateness of junk food at youth ministry events?
- do a food drive for a local food pantry on a Saturday afternoon?
- preach a sermon series about food in the Bible?
- take Communion daily as a church staff for the rest of the summer?
- put out a sharing table on Sunday mornings for people in the congregation to share their excess garden produce?
What are you doing in your congregation to talk about food? What would you like to do but haven't yet tried? Share your ideas on our blog.