Most churches presumably want to have an impact on their community. This may include help people in practical needs. But what about small churches?
There is something I did at a previous church that any church can do. We call it the One Ton Challenge and it is collecting 2000 pounds of food for the local food bank.
At that church we only had about 35 people, all of whom were retired. And yet they were able to collect more than the goal of 2000 pounds.
This is different from the popular food drives that take place at Christmas. This kind of food drive acknowledges that people eat all year long and that food banks need support all twelve months.
We have just introduced this at my current church and it is going well. We are not a big church, but people have really got behind this. It has created a lot of excitement and we are already ahead of schedule.
One of the benefits of this kind of outreach is that it is SMART:
Specific – Collecting food.
Measurable – 2000 pounds.
Attainable – It is possible for even small churches to do this.
Relevant – Caring for the poor and hungry is part of the Church’s mandate.
Timely – It must be done within 12 months.
Because of these aspects, it actually gives the church confidence to do take further steps. Having something significant that can be accomplishment is a first step to even greater opportunities.
But you might wonder if giving to the food bank is a worthwhile cause. Isn’t it just empowering people to live in poverty? My next post will address that.
