"How do you feel about the possibility of being a chump?” Pastor David Smith of the Upper Room Fellowship (URF) asked his members as they prepared to distribute food to their Temple City neighbors.
A direct-mail campaign blanketing four neighboring communities prompted calls about the congregation’s Bread for Life program: “How do we qualify for free groceries? Do we have to be unemployed—or attend church?” But church members had pledged to help neighbors, regardless of the motivations of those who responded.
Bread for Life is the brainchild of Lisa Kim, one of many URFers who commute up to an hour to church Sabbath mornings. Comprised mainly of 1.5- and 2nd-generation Koreans with young families, the congregation had enjoyed the interim pastoral services of Allen Terrell, who described the benefits of reaching out to needy neighbors with a monthly “collection Sabbath.”
“Two things appealed: people coming for groceries may bring spiritual hurts, too. A church acting in the spirit of Matthew 25 might become their new Christian home,” said Kim, Upper Room’s ministry coordinator. “Maybe even more important, unselfish service is just what URF needs. We have more than our share of academic and professional success; God can use Bread for Life to teach us to be servants.”
Upper Room Fellowship rents a Methodist congregation’s sanctuary. Ironically, mostly-Korean URF hired an Anglo pastor, while the First United Methodist Church (FUMC), a largely white, older congregation, employed a Malaysian/Chinese female minister, Pastor Leh-Chuo Ting. Since large Chinese-speaking populations live nearby, it was natural for the congregations to launch Bread for Life as spiritual partners. "The two Bobs,” FUMC retirees, volunteered their vans for treks to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank for bulk purchases. Ting was an invaluable linguist for Chinese-speaking visitors at the March 5 debut.
Publicity and direct mail targeting low-income residents brought a steady flow of people. Methodists and Adventists worked together at get-acquainted tables, inquiring about names, backgrounds, menu preferences and other needs.
Some were seniors struggling on fixed incomes in Southern California’s stratospheric real estate market. Others were between jobs, rooming with relatives or surviving on food stamps. One woman had just gotten a job. “Things are looking up, but thanks for this little boost.” Two 30-something sisters talked with Smith, describing their growing-up years with a Pentecostal minister for a father. “What’s different about your beliefs?” they asked, discussing with animation the Adventist perspective on the soul, death and the resurrection.
Newcomers went through the line in three “shifts,” pausing for a group prayer of thanks before departing with their hands filled.
“We didn’t know what to expect,” confessed Jae Lee, M.D., board chairman. “Praise God, the program was a success: our first grocery estimate was exactly on target. We handed out the last bag as the afternoon drew to a close. Everyone who came and those phoning subsequently were promised that we would be there for them the first Saturday afternoon each month.
Intended as a community blessing, the program provided volunteers a chance to practice their Christian beliefs. Smith remarked, “It’s great to see our two sister churches working together to reach out and love the people around us. If they come to know Jesus through our acts of love, that’s awesome, but we will give them hope and some full stomachs in any case."
"Bread for Life was a dream that God made a reality," added Lisa Kim, "not only bringing potential souls for Him, but creating a loving bridge between us and our brothers and sisters of our host church. It’s amazing how God has transformed our hearts.”
