In Your Congregation “"Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name." Psalm 100 Plan a Hunger Banquet Hunger Banquets are a great way to educate your congregation and community about issues of hunger. They are interactive dramatizations that allow participants to experience how food is unequally distributed in the world. Many organizations, particularly Oxfam, have promoted hunger banquets for years. This particular hunger banquet is joint project between Oxfam and the National Council of Churches' Eco-Justice Program and is unique because it raises environmental concerns about hunger and food where others do not. Download the Hunger Banquet (.pdf) Guide Food and Faith Study Guide This resource, produced by Earth Ministry that examines food choices through the lens of faith. In bite-sized pieces, you'll learn to recognize and celebrate food as sacramental, consider the implications of your choices, and find help in embodying love and compassion in the wider world. In a rare collection of voices, the authors of Food and Faith prompt us to explore the meaning of our meals. Here Wendell Berry, John Robbins, Vandana Shiva, Eric Schlosser, M.F.K. Fisher, Thomas Moore and many others explore basic issues related to food: its sacramental character, its connections to health, the demise of the family farm, the human and ecological impacts of industrial agribusiness, questions of genetically modified organisms and world hunger. A diversity of voices and a helpful study guide point to promising directions both individuals and communities can take to bring about a healthier and more equitable world through the food we eat. (The book includes an extensive resource guide and provides ideas on how to support local, sustainable agriculture. In addition, it includes an eight-session community building study guide.) Click here to find out more information and to order this resource. Educate Yourselves Click on the links below to learn more about food and faith, and use the articles to educate the rest of your congregation by using them in your church newsletter! Food and Farming and Faith Environmental Health Pesticides Land, Water, and Air Organic and Sustainable Farming Local Food Climate Impacts Policy Solutions Buying CSA Shares as part of your Ministry Churches can create wonderful connections between its congregants and their larger community by buying CSA shares and supporting local farmers. CSA stands for 'Community Supported Agriculture'. By creating relationships with local farmers, churches can promote healthy food and a healthy environment for its members and the community it serves. What is the Definition of a CSA? What does a CSA membership involve? How does CSAhelp improve the environment? How can my church get involved? Examples of churches that already participate in a CSA ministry. Buy from local growers for church dinners When having church dinners and potlucks, encourage your church to buy from local farmers whenever possible. Eating fresh seasonal food is not only good for your health, but it also supports local farmers and helps cut down on fuel pollution since local food does not need to travel far. There are also less tangible benefits such as the feeling of connection with where your food comes from. Money spent in the local economy through buying from local suppliers stays in the community, to everyone’s benefit. Large retail grocery chains use their enormous buying power to source the cheapest products, but the products are not always the best. In the supermarket, your meat and grains and vegetables might be coming from other countries far around the world. These "food miles" leaves an environmental legacy because of both climate change and from the devastating agricultural practices associated with large-scale farm production.   Be a local grower! Start a vegetable garden on your church grounds Use a corner of your church gorunds to become a local food producer. Or, if your congregation is space-limited consider container gardening. First-hand experience with growing food is important to understanding that food does not come from the supermarket. Use your fresh produce for church meals, distribute it to shut-ins, or donate it as part of your hunger ministry. Note: This is a great project for youth and adults to undertake together!