Northern California Conference

Bread of Life Offers Food and Friendship During Crisis

By Diane Butler

Since 2012, the Bread of Life food bank has served 60-100 people each Wednesday. A ministry of the Palo Cedro church, located in the community center on the Redding Adventist Academy campus, Bread of Life became more than just a source of food. It turned into a place of fellowship and comfort for its customers, many of whom welcomed the opportunity for prayer and relationships.

Then the coronavirus came along distribution. “Because of Bread of Life, and changed the way people went we can have the essentials like milk, about life. bread, eggs, and cereal that I wouldn’t

Bread of Life modified its be able to provide for my family operations to comply with new state otherwise,” she said. “The volunteers and county guidelines. Instead of are always so friendly and full of bringing customers into the food compassion. When I need prayer, they bank to choose items, volunteers pray with me. It fills my life with hope, now hand out bags of food at the strength, love, and joy.” entrance. They have discontinued People like Murdick and her the weekly devotional message, long seven-year-old son, James, are the conversations, and hugs. reason Bread of Life continues to

“It is a big change from our usual operate. “Even if we had decided not operation,” said Janet McCloud, to stay open, our customers could coordinator for Bread of Life. “We drop have gone to other food sources in a tract or Scripture verse into the bag the area,” said McCloud. “But there each week and try to visit a bit when is a connection between them and they pick up their groceries, but we’re us that makes them want to be here. aware that people are having to stand That is the hard part. We miss each in a long line. Before, we had more other and hugging one another. Our time to visit and connect with people.” customers are our friends. We were

Longtime customer Carrie Murdick determined to continue serving is grateful for the continuation of food them during this time.”

Another customer, Carrie Atkinson, NORTHERN LIGHTS acknowledges OFFICIAL NCC NEWSLETTER how the food

SIGN UP AT NCCSDA.COM bank impacts lives. “The Bread of Life team has remained available to READ, CONNECT , AND ENGAGE provide stability and provision

(Above) Customer Ella Huffman made a sign to thank Bread of Life volunteers. (Top left) Bread of Life Coordinator Janet McCloud serves customers during the public health emergency.

to those of us in need,” she said. “My family and I wouldn’t have made it without the resources they provide.”

Word of the food bank is spreading. “We are still having four or five new people each week,” said McCloud, who is currently doing an online Bible study with a customer. “The important thing is that we share the love of Jesus and open the door for them to come into the fold.”

Bread of Life volunteers continue to touch lives as they can. “It’s a challenge to reach people with social distancing in place, but we still pray with them as we are able and give them air hugs,” said McCloud.

Read an extended version of this article at: nccsda.com/bread-of-life.

NCC Members Engage Their Mission

By Julie Lorenz

In the midst of the current crisis, Northern California Conference members continue to support the three initiatives of the NCC strategic plan: Engage Your Calling to Ministry. Engage Your Church in Planting. Engage Your Community with Compassion.

Engage Your Calling to Ministry

NCC educators encourage students to engage their calling to minister to their peers. During Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy’s online spring week of prayer, high school students gave devotional talks for their own meetings as well as for the K-8 meetings. The elementary students took turns reading Scripture, praying, singing, and presenting the special music. “It was one of the best weeks of prayer I’ve ever seen,” said Principal Lisa Bissell Paulson. “To see our young people take on this challenge and be as articulate, convincing, powerful, and committed as they are, it is remarkable.”

Second-grader Tessa Leal plays a song for Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy’s online week of prayer. Engage Your Church in Planting

Feeling the call to engage their churches in planting, two NCC congregations have formed missional groups as the first stage of the process. Earlier this year, the San Anselmo Spanish church started the Novato Spanish missional group, which currently has about 50 members. The Novato church is in the early stages of starting the Southern Marin County missional group, with about nine core leaders.

Marin County, where both groups are located, is one of the highest-income areas in the state. “Although these church plants come with a lot of unique challenges and opportunities, we have a call from God to reach those people, as Christ did with Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea,” said Executive Secretary Jose Marin. “Please keep these local leaders in prayer as they go into uncharted territories to expand the kingdom of God.”

Engage Your Community with Compassion

Food for the Town is an initiative led by The Veg Hub ministry and six Oakland-area churches—Elmhurst, Immanuel Temple, Grand Advent, Market Street, San Leandro Spanish, and Oakland Spanish—whose members desire to engage their community with compassion.

Many church members have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Oakland Spanish church alone, 68 families lost their jobs and 11

Volunteers pack healthy groceries for the first Food for the Town distribution event at the Grand Advent church in Oakland.

members were infected with the virus. “We recognize that many families, including those with children, are unable to have healthy food during this crisis due to their financial challenges,” said Chef G. W. Chew, director of The Veg Hub ministry.

The initiative’s first event took place at the Grand Advent church on April 25. Volunteers packed 100 boxes of healthy groceries, including beans, grains, fruits, and vegetables. In addition to the NCC, several food distribution companies supported the effort. Boxes were available for pick up or delivery.

Many church members who received the boxes shared food with their neighbors. “This initiative creates a bridge from the hearts of the members to the community,” said Urban Ministries Director Willie Johnson. “It has opened avenues to reach people for the kingdom.”