Harvesting Abundance: Local Initiatives of Food and Faith

Engaging stories with photos in local communities and neighborhoods showing the church in action.

Many congregations, schools, and organizations are reaching out into their neighborhoods to share God’s story of abundance by establishing community gardens, beehive colonies, and other agricultural initiatives. They are creatively using their land and property; providing training, inspiration, and cross-cultural experiences for all ages; while at the same time feeding the hungry and building community relationships. Too often food banks only take non-perishables loaded with preservatives and sodium. Church entities involved in agricultural ministries are able to provide healthy food from their gardens to feeding programs, food pantries, and others in need. This book tells the tale of 25 such communities in story and image. An inspiration for others to develop such projects, food and faith can go hand-in-hand as we get our hands dirty while learning more about what Genesis 2 describes as God “planted” a garden. Gardening can be seen on the rooftop of a church in the city, beehives in the midst of a seminary, or a local community garden alongside the church’s parking lot. Discover where this movement is alive and growing, and find ideas for starting your own “food and faith” initiative in your own backyard, roof, or front porch.

Brian Sellers-Petersen, co-founder of the Episcopal Food, Farming, and Faith Network, is an avid gardener at home and office (St. Mark's Cathedral, Seattle) and a consultant to Seattle Tilth Food and Faith Initiative. He has worked with Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) for the past 15 years in a variety of capacities, including as the creator/developer of Episcopal Relief & Development's Abundant Life Garden Project curriculum, a leader of pilgrimages to sustainable agriculture programs in Ghana and Central America, senior advisor to the president of ERD, former Director of Church Engagement, and former Western Regional Director. He is on the advisory council of the Beecken Center at Sewanee, and previously worked for World Vision and with Bread for World. In addition, he has worked with All Saints Pasadena; the Anglican Diocese of Port Elizabeth, South Africa; and the Student Christian Movement of South Africa. He currently lives in Covington, Washington.

Sarah Nolan co-founded The Abundant Table, an Episcopal rooted nonprofit farm and worshiping community. She serves on the Episcopal General Convention’s Task Force on Creation Care and Environmental Racism and is actively engaged in work and conversations around emergent ministries, organizational vitality and the intersection of food, faith and the environment. She lives in Richmond, Virginia.