Micah 6:8 says, “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
What does it mean to love kindness? Well, other translations of this text replace these words with “to have mercy.” Mercy is a term that means to show compassion, grace or charity. It is no secret that churches do this well. Mercy ministries include food banks, clothing closets, temporary shelters and free meals.
What does it mean to do justice? Justice asks the hard questions about the systems that cause people to need the ministries above. Justice spreads awareness about prejudices and brokenness within our communities. Justice gives our neighbors the access to education, jobs and other tools needed to flourish.
What does it mean to walk humbly with God? To be humble challenges us to put our needs aside and instead, concentrate on others. In relation to God, I think Micah is encouraging us to set aside space for intentional prayer so we can listen to God’s call in our lives.
As an outreach-driven congregation, First Christian Church (FCC) has chosen this scripture as its guide. It reminds us that justice, mercy and humility are equally important when serving God. In August of 2021 FCC received a sizable donation of food from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. With this gift, we decided to shake things up a bit and change our model for serving our neighbors.
We asked, “What if we let our neighbors choose? What if they got to shop for items they wanted? What if we provided an atmosphere of even greater dignity and hope?” The feedback was eye-opening. One shopper shared, “I love coming in here. Everyone is so friendly.” Another said, “Choosing my own food instead of receiving a bag of items is so much better!” So, in October of 2021, FCC responded to God’s call to continue with the grocery-model food bank by setting up a temporary space in its fellowship hall. Our partnerships with Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland; Glean KY; Need More Acres Farm; Greenwood Church of Christ; and HOTEL INC provide funding and food to keep the shelves stocked.
But the FCC Community Grocery doesn’t only fulfill a need for supplemental food. It also offers an opportunity for us to get to know our neighbors. Using an online database called Charity Tracker, we can better understand the situation some of our neighbors find themselves in. Maybe they’ve never received help before? Maybe they recently lost their job? Maybe COVID wrecked their lives? We all know that groceries, utilities and gas prices have significantly increased. These changes may seem insignificant to some, but to others, it can be the difference between food and gas.
Entering into a conversation with our neighbors allows us to hear their stories and share the resources that are available to them in our community. It is also an invitation to come alongside them as people made in the image of God. The relationship moves from something that is transactional (I have something you need) – to a relationship of mutuality and respect (both giver and receiver are transformed.) This reminds both parties involved that we all have value and we all have something to offer.
Looking forward, we are excited to deepen relationships with our neighbors and we think the best way to do this is around a table. But I’m not just talking about eating. Instead, we are going to invite our friends and neighbors to cook together! We are lucky to receive an abundance of fresh produce weekly! Tomatoes, onions, greens, sweet potatoes, squash, apples and pears are healthy options that many of our neighbors are uncomfortable preparing. With the help of volunteers and social services in the area, we want to provide our neighbors with new skills that will benefit their families and their health.
FCC’s Community Grocery is open on Mondays 10am-12pm, Wednesdays 4:30pm-6:30pm, and Thursdays 1pm-3pm. Every time we open our doors, we depend on our dedicated volunteers to get the work done. It takes 8-12 people to serve the 30-45 families that come through our doors each day. The folks pictured below make this ministry possible!
If you are interested in volunteering at the FCC Community Grocery, please visit our website at FCCBG.org/food. If you’d like to learn more or have any questions, please email Rev. Kyle at kylemcdougall@firstchristianbg.org or our Coordinator, Julie Boca at blondboca@yahoo.com. You can also make monetary donations to help fund this ministry on our website.
-by Rev. Kyle McDougal
First Christian Church
1106 State Street • Bowling Green, KY 42101 • 270-843-3191
