Food to Faith: Bringing Communities Together Around a Common Table
New ministry blends hunger grants with community-centered Dinner Church model

Sharing a meal around a table is a powerful expression of community. No matter who comes to the table, each one has common needs: food to sustain life and community to feel a sense of place and belonging.
Hunger Ministries, An Open Door to the Table
Many churches have established food ministries through which they reach out to people in their local communities, such as food pantries or soup kitchens. For many years, BGAV has made funding available to help them create or sustain those ministries.
And in some churches, those food ministries have become faith communities. Whether they’ve happened organically or by design, communities often form as relationships deepen and people explore their faith.
BGAV’s Church Development banner—a new collaboration of Impact Missions and Fresh Expressions teams—has identified a synergistic opportunity to combine a passion for reducing hunger and a passion for reducing loneliness, so that through food and community, those who may or may not be comfortable in a traditional church setting can taste and see that God is good.
Setting the Table
BGAV is excited to introduce Food to Faith—a groundbreaking initiative that brings mission and ministry together in a powerful new way. By blending Impact Missions hunger grants with the community-centered spirit of Fresh Expressions’ Dinner Church Collective, this innovation is about more than just meals. It involves building relationships, sharing hope, and cultivating faith around the table. It’s not only about feeding people; it’s about creating a space where everyone belongs and shares God’s love together.
“Churches today are constantly asking themselves, ‘What do we need to do to get people to come to our church?’ Perhaps the better question is, ‘What do we need to do to make a difference in our community and be the hands and feet of Christ?’” commented Dean Miller, BGAV’s team leader for Impact Missions. “People seeking faith today are much more compelled by actions than words, and Dinner Church is a great answer.”
“Many congregations are already doing amazing ministry in reducing hunger in their communities,” reflected Shannon Kiser, senior director for Fresh Expressions North America. “Committed volunteers are rolling up their sleeves and working to ensure no one in their community goes to bed hungry. Yet we are often so busy providing for people that we miss the opportunity to step into deeper life with them. The heartbeat behind Food to Faith is to begin taking that intentional next step into table fellowship reflecting the heart of God. Dinner Church is something a church of any size can do, and those who are setting these kinds of tables are discovering that faith naturally takes root as we meet people where they are and share meals and life together in the way of Jesus.”
An Invitation to the Table
Does your church already have a hunger ministry? Are you open to thinking about it differently? Do you want to create space for sharing faith among those in your community who won’t likely come to your church on Sunday morning?
If your answer is “yes” to any of the questions above, learn more and sign up for any of the upcoming Dinner Church Encounters on the BGAV event calendar. Information is forthcoming soon about how to follow up with an application for microgrants to get your outreach started.
Upcoming Dinner Church Encounters
- February 27, 2025 in Fredericksburg, VA
- March 1, 2025 in Lynchburg, VA
- April 5, 2025 in Abingdon, VA
- April 7, 2025 in Wytheville, VA