Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? (James 2:15-16 NIV)  

As people come to collect their food, the volunteers are able to witness to the recipients and to invite them to TCI's Living Free groups—small discipleship groups that help people turn to God and his resources when dealing with life's problems. In fact, the director of the food ministry not only tells the recipients about Living Free groups, but goes to where they are to hold the meetings. Reaching out to people by meeting their felt needs, these volunteers are serving as a bridge from the community to the church. TCI's biggest single food-related outreach happens at Thanksgiving when they give away turkeys, canned goods and dried goods. In 2005 they distributed approximately 2000 turkeys for Thanksgiving (for about 8000 individuals).   

Want to learn more? VisitTrinity Church International's Website.  

To learn how your church can develop small groups that make a difference, visit Living Free.

More Ideas for Building a Food Ministry

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief to communities throughout the United States. Angel Food has grown to serve hundreds of thousands of families every month across 35 states. Angel Food Ministries crosses denominational lines and has spread the good news of the gospel of Christ through salvation tracts that are placed in each food order.

Bread of Life is a ministry of Calvary Chapel North Long Beach,  providing food to the needy people in the North Long Beach area. Beginning in 1995 as a small food pantry, the Bread of Life food ministry currently serves hundreds of people in the surrounding area.

Central Food Ministry is a non-profit organization that acquires and distributes food, clothing, supplies, and spiritual support to financially disadvantage residents of Lowell, Massachusetts. It is the mission of Central Food Ministry to provide not only food and clothing for the physical needs of the body; but also spiritual food for the mind by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ; as well as spiritual guidance and other support to families in need of assistance.

COMPA Ministries: COMPAssion in Action. Developing marketable job skills among homeless and low-income individuals in transitional programs is the first step in enabling them to secure a meaningful job that provides a living wage and starts them on the path of self-sufficiency.

Feed the Children is a Christian, international, nonprofit relief organization with headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that delivers food, medicine, clothing and other necessities to individuals, children and families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty, or natural disaster.

Harvest Food Ministry. A ministry and a people that are consumed by God, who will spread the good news of JESUS CHRIST by blessing those who we purchase from, blessing those we teach, and blessing those we feed.

"How to Start a Food Ministry" by Sarah Sandori.

Loaves & Fishes Christian Food Ministry. Loaves & Fishes is a food ministry that provides groceries to food insecure families in Alamance and surrounding counties. The ministry distributes donations of food from the local community to those families who do not have enough food. When local donations are insufficient to meet demand, the ministry buys food at wholesale or less from the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, located in Winston-Salem. The ministry also picks up donated food from local grocery stores.

North America Mission Board. "Basic Guidelines for a Food Ministry."

Open Door Food Ministry. Our Mission is not to just provide food to needy families, but to help them to be able to provide food for themselves. We do this through our food pantry, job bank, ODM Graduate School, and one on one counseling.