"I just feel like the women in our church do a lot of good for our community and sometimes it doesn't always get shared."

This observation motivated Katie Zerbst, secretary at the United Methodist Church in Sturgis, South Dakota, to share her church's story through the "It Worked for Us" link on the Dakotas Conference website.

Volunteers at Sturgis UMC prepare sack lunches in the fellowship hall. Photos courtesy of Sturgis UMC.

What "worked for them" was blessing the children of their community through the summer meal program. Following the discontinuation of the service provided by the school district due to loss of funding, the United Women in Faith of Sturgis UMC stepped in to fill the gap. They began preparing free sack lunches for school kids every Wednesday from the end of May until August.

"After the pandemic, we kind of got people in the groove of getting free meals, so then they didn't fill out the documentation for free and reduced meals," explained Deb Holland, a member of Sturgis UMC who facilitated the launch of this new mission. "That meant the school district was no longer eligible for a free summer meals program."

As a reporter in the area, Holland was aware of Sturgis's demographics and high poverty level and knew that kids would go hungry in the summer if this program weren't in operation.

 "I remember sitting at fellowship after church one day, and I said to Pastor Jenene, 'I've been trying to fight off this feeling that God is calling us to do lunches for kids," she recalled. "I think the Holy Spirit is moving me to lead this ministry for our church and be a good neighbor."

A few years earlier, Sturgis UMC had participated in the Missional Church Consultation Initiative (MCCI) and was encouraged to look beyond their walls and explore ways to "be good neighbors" to their community. This led to building a relationship with the nearby grade school and ultimately creating an after-school program in response to a growing need they discovered.

Serving the kids of Sturgis through the summer meals program is another fruit of that renewed missional spirit.

Volunteers gather at the church around 10 a.m. each Wednesday in the summer and prepare sack lunches—typically a sandwich, fruit, chips, a dessert, and a drink.

"They were always excited and ready to help and happy to be providing that service to others," said Zerbst of one of the congregation members who joined Holland in implementing the ministry.

Like a well-oiled machine, United Women in Faith assembled sack lunches for hungry kids.

Volunteers then distribute meals to the approximately 60 kids enrolled in the summer school program at the elementary and middle schools. Another 20 or so are given out at the church. The library is a hub for community activity, so the church also worked with the library director to make that a distribution site.

The response has been incredibly positive.

"We get comments on our Facebook posts or from parents or just from church or community members saying, 'you guys are providing a really needed service,'" shared Katie.

"I happened upon a mom who was leaving the library with six meals, and I said, 'What do you think of this program?' She said, 'This has been just wonderful. You know the price of groceries has gone up so much. Even one meal we can get and feed the kids is a Godsend," recalls Holland.

The recipients of the meals are not the only ones being impacted. The spark of this mission has been contagious.

While the United Women in Faith from Sturgis UMC make up the core of the volunteers, the mission has become intergenerational as kids and young adults have both been a part of the lunch crew. The United Methodists also encouraged other churches to join in on the opportunity to serve the community and now First Presbyterian provides meals on Mondays.

Sturgis UWiF members prepared PBJ sandwiches for kids' sack lunches on Wednesdays.

The invitation to participate in this ministry has extended into the community. Volunteers have shared the vision with the local Kiwanis group, spurring others to contribute to feeding over 100 young people each week. They also garnered nearly $300 to support the ministry in just one hour at an outdoor band concert.

"People just really felt compelled to give," shared Holland.

There is a spirit of "loaves and fishes" as they make the most of all donations. The owners of the local Grocery Mart have "bent over backward to make the dollars stretch" for the needed lunch supplies. The school district shared things like goldfish crackers and chips left over at the school year's end. The church even received a donation of over 100 flour tortillas that a family had left over from a wedding reception. So that week, the standard sandwiches for kids were replaced with quesadillas.

"It comes from everywhere," exclaimed Holland. "I mean it just rains down blessings."

Seeing the transformative effect of this ministry made Zerbst want to share the story beyond their community.

"I thought this would be a really good story to share with other people and maybe inspire them to do something for kids in their community or for their community as a whole," explained Zerbst.

Cookers for Christ

The summer meals program isn't the only example of members of Sturgis UMC putting their faith into action through food ministry. Cookers for Christ is another example of a ministry that emerged as the church discovered the needs of their neighbors.

Cookers for Christ packed up hot meals at the Sturgis UMC for folks from the church and beyond, who don't get out much. They collaborated with Meals on Wheels to find and fill the gap.

Several women in the congregation became aware that members of their church and others in the community were unable to get out much. They decided to combine their love of cooking and their gifts for connection and care to meet the needs of these individuals.

Seven or eight women gather on the last Tuesday of the month to prepare and deliver 20-25 meals. Utilizing monetary contributions from their United Women in Faith and congregation members, along with other donations from members, such as fresh garden produce, hearty meals are prepared to fill the stomachs and hearts of recipients.

This mission has also been a way to live out the call to love our neighbor as ourselves.

"This is a way that we can follow in the footsteps of Jesus," said Joy Atyeo, one of the Sturgis UMC Cookers for Christ.

As they have lived out this mission, they have also sought ways to connect with partner organizations addressing the challenges of hunger and isolation. At a recent unit meeting, a representative from Meals on Wheels came to speak to the group. This collaboration is helpful as the Meals on Wheels leadership is often aware of individuals who may need a meal but are outside their delivery area.

As Atyeo described, Cookers for Christ is a way for them to put their faith into action—to live out the things they hear their pastor preach about all the time.

"We're to love our neighbors as ourselves," Atyeo explained. "We're to think of others who need to be blessed."

These small acts of compassion are helping individuals and families one meal at a time.

"People in the community are realizing that they can be missional in their own hometown," said Holland.  

Let's hear from you! What is a unique way your congregation reaches out to people outside your church walls? Share your story with us and other United Methodists across the Dakotas Conference through this simple form: It Worked for Us.