The Church of Christ Is Organized for Service
Westchester Korean Adventist Church has been running a food pantry for the past three years. We started it at the heart of the pandemic thinking that the community was in need, from the impact of Covid-19. It has been a big blessing in many ways—some unexpected—and I wanted to share some of the blessings in this article.
First of all, I think it has been really helpful to have a continuous source of outreach to our church. Since the food pantry is weekly, it causes our church to gather together often and minister to others. For both the Korean ministry side and for the English ministry side, it has been a means of opportunity to bond together as we work for the food pantry. When we work together for a good cause, it is the best way to get to know each other and appreciate each other.
In Yorktown Heights, where there are not a lot of Korean population, it was hard for the KM to do evangelism. But through the food pantry, we are getting connected with some Koreans that live in the community that may not be interested in religious teachings, but are happy to volunteer for the food pantry. Because of this association, we have been blessed to get to know them and are building good relationships with them.
Another benefit that has arisen because of the food pantry, is that we are getting connected to the community in our church town. As we see familiar faces, we talk with them and get to know their needs. Through the food pantry contacts, we got to know an older lady who needed help with her flooded basement. Our Bible workers were able to go and be the hands and feet of Jesus to this lady.
One of the best results that came from the food pantry is the opportunity to share Jesus with some of the clients. We deliver some of the food to an impoverished neighborhood and we have some wonderful relationships with some of the people. Our Bible workers go there weekly to have Bible studies with them. After years of continual visitations, people who were skeptical of Christians are voicing their respect and admiration for our Bible workers’ characters and actions.
As we continue the food pantry ministry, our network to the neighborhood leaders and other businesses are widening. Through contacts, small businesses have been connected with us and are contributing their donations to our food pantry inventory. So each week, we have a bagel store giving us their breads and recently a pizzeria is contributing their food as well.
I have been blessed to work with some of the other leaders of three other food pantries in our church town. And as we work together, there have been great opportunities that have arisen. One of the leaders is on the board of a local farm and she contributed some fresh plantings for our last food pantry.
A few months ago, I shared in an English Compass article about missing the grant for HYPNAP, a governmental grant that is awarded to food pantries. It is only opened once a year for applications and I was so disappointed in myself when I missed the deadline, because I knew that it was impossible to get an extension. I came to terms with it and had peace with not getting the grant the following year but I was shocked when the liaison for Feeding Westchester called, to say that they were opening up the HYPNAP applications again. I asked her how often they reopen the grant application process. She said she has never seen it reopened before in all her life. I shared with her that I believed that the grant application was reopened just for me, and she agreed. I was half joking with her but I truly believed that God was behind this little miracle.
In my experience with lay ministry, I truly believe that the key to a healthy ministry is to have some form of outreach. When we are only focused on growing our church by ministering to our own church members, it is not a formula for true growth. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a food pantry, but I am truly thankful for our church’s food pantry ministry. Through the ministry, we have learned that it is better to give, than to receive. “The church of Christ is organized for service. Its watchword is ministry. Its members are soldiers, to be trained for conflict under the captain of their salvation.” Ministry of Healing, p. 117.