At the Battlefords church, ministry doesn’t stop at the church doors. When local leaders began seeing a growing need among people experiencing homelessness, church members saw an opportunity to respond. Today, volunteers regularly prepare and serve meals to approximately 120 people at each outreach event.
The day before an outreach, church members gather to prepare the meals. The following day, volunteers bring the food into the community, where people gather to receive a warm meal. As they serve, volunteers also take time to listen, learn names, hear stories, offer encouragement and share hope.
“From the outside, it may look like we are simply distributing food,” shared Pastor Fady Fakhoury. “But when you stand there and listen to people’s stories, you realize that what they need is often much deeper than a meal.”
And the impact reaches both sides of the table. Volunteers say they often arrive expecting to serve, only to leave feeling that they have received something, too. “Ministry changes the person who serves just as much as it can change the person being served,” said Pastor Fakhoury.
The initiative grew from the church’s long-standing relationships throughout the Battlefords community, including with local government, other churches and community organizations, including ADRA Canada. These partnerships have opened doors for the church to respond when people are hurting. “We want to be the church that goes beyond its walls. Live the church,” said Pastor Fakhoury.
That vision reflects the heart of ADRA’s ministry: to let people encounter the love of Christ through action before they ever hear it in words. Every meal, conversation and act of kindness is an opportunity to remind someone that they are not forgotten.
Through the generosity of donors like you, ADRA is able to help local churches respond when needs arise, meet people where they are and create spaces where dignity, friendship and hope can grow. Thank you for helping communities across Canada and the entire world serve like Jesus, one person at a time.
