Bayfield (Colorado) Christian Church is increasing the size of its small community garden to 5 acres.
By Ron Martin
Across the country, people in local churches are struggling to stay ahead of the economic downturn and slow recovery. In particular, having enough food for families is a growing concern. One church in southwest Colorado has decided to do something about it.
Southwest Colorado is one of God”s most beautiful gifts in terms of scenic beauty and recreational opportunities. It is home to Mesa Verde National Park, and the area boasts a rich history in the settlement of the West. The town of Bayfield, Colorado, rests just east of Durango, a wonderful resort town with attractions like the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, mountain biking, ski resorts, and Fort Lewis College. Bayfield is also north of Ignacio, headquarters of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. In an area where tourism is a significant part of the local economy, when financial hard times hit, areas like this feel the impact harder than most.
Bayfield Christian Church has been here for 30 years, and with its longstanding commitment to community involvement, we simply could not sit back and watch families struggle for food. When things became difficult last year, several people requested use of some of our property to create a garden where families could grow produce. The elders discussed and immediately approved the idea.
Word of this quickly spread, and within a short time families from the community and other area churches, along with home school groups, expressed interest in growing food. The result was wonderful, and we witnessed the joy of people working the land together and shared their excitement when they harvested their vegetables and fruit. We had created a small garden that nourished many families.
“Feed the Families”
Then we realized, If this works so well on a small scale, how many more people could benefit from this land on a larger scale?
The church has access to a 5-acre parcel that is inaccessible except through the church”s main driveway and parking lot. We began discussing what to do with it, and held an all-night prayer vigil to consider God”s will. It seemed virtually every person heard the same voice, “Use the land to feed families in the area.” It seemed certain this was the path God wanted us to follow.
The Durango, Bayfield, Ignacio area has abundant farmland, but all of it is privately held. There are also large populations living in city subdivisions, mountainous areas, or at elevations in forests that have little or no land for cultivation.
The church is able to help meet the needs of a larger number of families not only through our unique access to the additional acreage, but also because we have water rights on the land, which enables us to easily irrigate it. In addition, we have a congregation enthusiastically committed to performing this kind of service in the community.
A Big Idea
Bayfield Christian Church has always played a significant role in the community. At the annual 4th of July parade we distribute thousands of bottles of water with Scripture verses and invitations attached. At the town Christmas parade we provide hot chocolate and snacks for all to enjoy. And the youth group prepares and distributes egg-shaped packages that young ones delight in searching for at the community children”s Easter program. For years the church has supported the local food bank and volunteered at the local soup kitchen.
While all of these things required significant commitments of time and money, the 80 or so members of this country church are happy to give, all with the desire to share God”s love and the message of Jesus.
But a large community garden was a much bigger and grander idea. Not only because of the work it would require, but because of the tremendous potential it had for feeding many families for years to come. Excitement grew as the plan evolved from dream to reality.
Little Church, Big Impact
Biblical principles (see sidebar, p. 7) confirmed our decision to move forward with the garden project. If ever there were a time for the church to be a testimony of God”s goodness and grace to the world, it is in the current economic situation. As we represent God”s love and care to people, we do so by generously giving to individuals and programs that feed the poor on the one hand, and on the other, support and enable the efforts of people to grow and enjoy their own food.
We have begun a fund-raiser to cover the expense of preparing the land, amending the soil, and providing the pathways and fencing that will enable us to feed an estimated 200 families. We call the drive “1,000 Voices to Feed Families,” and the goal is to find 1,000 people who can make a one-time donation toward getting the ball rolling to help others. Details can be found at http://www.bayfieldchristian.com/1000voices.html.
Bayfield Christian Church is a small church, but we hold a big vision of love and service to others. We experience such love and provision from a generous Savior who gave himself for our sins, and we take seriously the biblical mandates that by our care for others, we reflect the love and care he demonstrates toward us.
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Ron Martin is pastor of Bayfield (Colorado) Christian Church. He served as vice president of Universal Studios Hollywood for 12 years before moving to southwest Colorado in 2007.
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SIDEBAR: The Biblical Mandate
The many Bible texts dealing with caring for the poor, impoverished, or those in need of help are explicit. Consider Job”s companions” early references to the poor as those who are oppressed and left destitute (Job 20:19), and widows sent away empty handed and the fatherless stripped of strength (Job 22:9), and of those thrust off the path and forced to live in hiding (Job 24:4).
God asks us to extend special care to those who are in need. Psalm 9:18 promises, “The needy will not always be forgotten, nor will the hope of the afflicted ever perish.” Throughout history, God deals with his people by always making provision for those less fortunate; he sets the standard for those who are able and have abundance to care for those who do not.
When God called Israel out of Egypt and established the community laws of conduct, he included many mandates to provide for those who could not provide for themselves. This included loans without interest (Exodus 22:25-27), even to the extent that cloaks given as collateral would be returned for use overnight. The Law also made provision for collections to be made so that the fatherless and widows could come and eat and be satisfied (Deuteronomy 14:28, 29).
Psalm 37:21 says the righteous are those who give generously, and in the New Testament the church continued caring for widows and orphans, those in need, and even their enemies (Romans 12:8, 13, 20). These are biblical mandates to give and to give generously.
However, there was another principle God ordained for the care of those in need. That principle, found in verses like Exodus 23:11 and Leviticus 19:9, introduced a mechanism allowing the poor and needy to collect food for themselves and use the land to cultivate and grow their own food. This was a remarkable thing in the ancient world; it afforded people suffering hard times the opportunity to participate in solving their own problem of not having enough food.
Leviticus 25:35-38 expands the idea of caring for those in need and even compares it to the way God brought the people out of Egypt. It is as if God is saying, “Mimic my goodness to you through your goodness to others.”
“”RM
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