Being Missional engages businesses such as the PGA Superstore…

On being Missional …

Interns from the University of Indianapolis at the FHL office  working on “community assessment” to determine strengths and weaknesses of our clients in the Castleton area.  Our purpose?  To plan nursing interventions to help the community.  These interns have been involved in interviewing the local residents and businesses who have been served at the FHL Drive-Thru Missional Food Pantry, making phone interviews and performing online research.

What is an FHL Space? FHL Community has been praying for the right timing to launch a regular gathering of people who want to establish closer relationships with volunteers, recipients and partners. This community gathering is all about living our lives based on Kingdom principles.  Our first step is to identify conveners who are people persons and willing to learn how to gather groups and about God.

As a missional food pantry training organization, we regularly measure our effectiveness to find ways to serve our community better. One way is through follow up calls with our clients, engaging them in conversation about the effect on their lives after receiving God’s provision and protection through our FHL Missional Food Pantry Drive-Thru.

With the help of University of Indianapolis interns calling our Missional Food Pantry clients and asking quality control questions, we learned that a big percentage of the recipients loved the prayer portion of the Missional Food Pantry Drive Through outreach.  WATCH!

Operating a missional food pantry is more than just giving away groceries during pantry days. It also involves receiving and organizing donations during non-pantry days. I involves finding and organizing volunteers.  The entire family can volunteer together as a part of deepening their relationships with each other and to learn and minister together. It’s another practical way to instill the value of serving unconditionally.  Businesses can also send their employees to encourage community involvement and for a practical team-building.

Today we look at two of the steps in preparing for the operations of Missional Food Pantry: Area assessment and food acquisition and loadout. Test

Area Assessment: Serving the needs of the clients and looking for partners

Currently, FHL has 3 teams of interns from the University of Indianapolis in the process of redefining the deeper role of a food pantry in a community. Tuesday, Sept 15th, Team A’s assignment was to learn about the life along 82nd St in order to identify the needs and the resources available. This is an important step in creating a “Missional Community”

Loadout of Food Pantry Provisions

Friday’s are often a load out day for the FHL Drive-Thru Missional Food Pantry.  It’s always a busy day preparing for a Saturday Food Pantry.  This past Friday loadout, Sept 11 FHL was helped by several partners which we wish to thank:BroadRippleHVAC, PenskeTruck, MidwestFoodbank, SecondHelpings, FearlessKitchens

The 60th FHL TableTalk Live is tomorrow at 11am on our FaceBook page and also on our YouTube Page.  It’s the 5th Year Anniversary of a monthly gathering that started out of our passion to empower food pantries and other community resources. I hope you join us!!

Our Guest is Eldon Kibbey, Indiana State Director for CBMC and an FHL Community board member.

About this FHL TableTalk…
Each of us is in a Sphere of Interaction that is filled with 3 Groups.

1. There are the Scenery – those individuals that we see on a regular basis but don’t know.
2. There are the Machinery – these are the humans who wait on you at the store, the coffee shop, or the restaurant but we don’t know who they are.
3. Then, there are the People – those in your family, your workplace, and your neighborhood that you actually know!

So, how do we apply these principles so that we take advantage of the opportunities God has given us in this unprecedented time?