My book, Five Loaves, Two Fish, Twelve Volunteers focuses on baptismal ministry--that is, the idea that all people are called to ministry. Even those, like people who are food insecure, that we tend to think of as needing to be ministered to. My book offers examples of churches (from 30 members to 300) that have invited people who are food insecure to volunteer in their ministries. These workshops will help a church or churches to do ministry with others. My style is highly interactive and presumes that you are the experts on your own situation; my role is to tease out what you know, and how you can use that to change or start a food ministry. I fine-tune all workshops and retreats to meet the specific needs and culture of your group.
GROWING RELATIONAL FOOD MINISTRIES: Take your church-based food pantry or meal program to the next step or create something new. Bring a team to learn new skills in relationship building and inviting participants to be volunteers. We will discuss how to move from ministry that is primarily to others into one that is ministry with people who are food insecure, and then look at the ways sharing the ministry creates a community that is church. Each team that attends will have time to develop plans for next steps that are specific to your context. One day.
VOLUNTEER TRAINING: If you've decided to adjust your pantry, meal, or garden to relational ministry this training will help get everyone on board. We will go over the essential ideas of shared ministry and then learn and practice the skills needed to get to know people in a food ministry environment. This hands-on training is adapted to your specific situation. Three hours.
GROWING RELATIONAL FOOD MINISTRIES: Take your church-based food pantry or meal program to the next step or create something new. We will discuss how to move from ministry that is primarily to others into one that is ministry with people who are food insecure, and then look at the ways sharing the ministry creates a community that is church. Each team that attends will leave with ideas of how to develop plans for next steps that are specific to your context. Three hours.
FIVE LOAVES, TWO FISH, TWELVE VOLUNTEERS: Hear stories from ministries where the food insecure people are the volunteers at food pantries and meal programs. Growing relationships and giving authority to others helps congregations from 30-300 people build a strong church community. One to two hours.
SPIRITUAL COMPANIONING: Training for lay and ordained leaders on how to be spiritual companions for people on the streets, in their homes, and living on the edge. This Spiritual Companioning model was developed by Craig Rennebohm and described in his book Souls in the Hands of a Tender God. This hands-on course will cover how to assess the environment, find your particular role in this relationship, and then to become a companion to a person in need. We will to role play, discuss situations you have faced, and try-on skills for growing your ability to care for your neighbor. The chapter Relational Ministry: Ministry with People who are Without Homes and Who are Food Insecure in the book Injustice and the Care of Souls: Taking Oppression Seriously in Pastoral Care (Fortress Press, Second Edition 2023) is based on this course and my street ministry experiences. One Day.