Grant Helps St. Andrew's Lutheran Church
Put Drive-through Food Ministry Idea into Action
October 31, 2020
What would your church do to help out your community if you had $2000 to spend?
Congregations across Indiana and Kentucky had ideas to put into action when the opportunity came up to receive that amount to use on behalf of others. Nancy Nyland, Director of Evangelical Missions, shared: “Reading through the grant applications again and again, I was so thankful for the on-going and new ministries that are happening across our mission territory. What an awesome God we have -- constantly at work in our world!”
One of the congregations rising to the challenge of being at work in our world was St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Speedway, Indiana. Already supporting nearby Wheeler Elementary School with school supplies, cleaning materials, and volunteers for school events, St. Andrew's members wanted to go a step further. They envisioned a “drive-through” food distribution ministry for the families at Wheeler Elementary School in Speedway. According to Suzy Henschen, a member of St. Andrew's Lutheran church, “It was a great Christian experience to have faith that our church would receive so much donated food to give to the families at Wheeler School.”
The event occurred on Thursday, October 8, just before the students’ fall break. Because about 74% of the student population is eligible for free or reduced lunch program, St. Andrew’s goal was to provide fresh food for these families to have during their school break. With the grant and member contributions, as well as additional assistance with donations from Aldi’s and Walmart, they were able to accomplish this. In the words of one of the St. Andrew’s volunteers, “I saw God at work through the generosity of Walmart and Aldi grocery stores who donated fresh food to the families at Wheeler School. With all the negative news these days, it was a heartwarming experience to see happiness brought to 38 families.” What were the reactions from those families served? They showed their appreciation for all that they received with grateful comments like: “Thank you so much, God bless you, This really helps”, and with smiling faces.
The food outreach ministry to Wheeler Elementary School aligns well with the church’s mission statement, “Guided by the Spirit, we share the love of Jesus and walk with our community.”
St. Andrew’s members were invited to contribute to the project both financially and by volunteering, and $1,065 has been received to date. They plan to use that contribution to put more ideas into action next spring.
**This post was written and shared by the IK Synod in their Weekly News email on October 29, 2020.