Festival of Food and Faith
Workshop Session A
Sharing Food as a Christian Practice
Dorothy C. Bass
Sharing food is fundamental to human well-being and a basic element in any way of life. How can the ways in which Christian communities practice breaking bread—at the Lord’s Table and at our domestic, public, and global tables—foster a way of life responds to God’s grace and to the needs of all creation ?
Justice, Joy, and Daily Bread
Michael Schut
Through the gift of food we are connected daily to the global economy, farmers, animals, fossil fuels, migrant workers, soil and water. This participatory workshop will focus on broad, systemic justice issues and then on the very practical food choices we make every day with the hope that our daily bread becomes more of an opportunity for communion than a need to refuel. Participants will also be introduced to the book and community-building study-guide Food and Faith, designed for both individual and small group use.
Defiant Gardens in the Great Northern Feedlot
Fred Bahnson, Grace Hackney, and Mike Mulberry
This workshop will address why it’s important for the church to support local food economies. Community UCC in Champaign (IL) partners with nearby CSA farms. Cedar Grove UMC (NC) sponsors Anathoth Community Garden, an experiment in church-supported agriculture that seeks “to plant gardens and eat what they produce” and “to seek the peace of the city” (Jer.29).
Stranded in the Food Desert
Mari Gallagher
This session will examine: 1) types of food access—from grocery stores to fast food— and their impact on public health, especially on women and children; 2) how the USDA food stamp program is both helping and hurting our most vulnerable populations; and 3) what you can do to improve food access and healthy food choices in your community.
Mindful Eating: A Means for Realizing Your Profound Connection
to the Eternal
Phyllis Bowen
Mindful Eating: Connecting Knowing, Being, Doing We often see eating/less eating/what to eat as a personal struggle which many of us regard as hopeless, especially if we are overweight. This workshop seeks to help us see the connection between our body physiology, our surroundings and the larger world. We will explore ways to eat mindfully connecting to the food we eat and where it comes from and what its ingestion enables in relationship to the rest of the world. We will see how the latest USDA food guide recommendations relates to this connectedness. We will generate for ourselves some specific personal commitments around our own eating or what we provide for our families that are consistent with these new ways of being. If there is time left over, Dr. Bowen will answer specific questions concerning foods, functional foods, foods for specific conditions, etc.
Come to the Table: A Hands-on Exploration of Food and Feast
Carol Montgomery-Fate, Elizabeth Jeep, and Lisa Wagner
This workshop, designed for people of all ages, will explore the nature of feasts in our society and in Christian tradition. What makes a feast? We will not only talk about, but also experience the three key elements of gratitude, abundance, and community as we create banners and make food together. Ideas for developing your own table graces and blessings will be provided.
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Workshop Descriptions
Workshop Session B
Breaking Bread in Jesus’ Name
Susan Briehl
A table is set, the story is shared, bread is broken and wine is poured; Jesus comes as one who serves and the world is turned upside down. Using the story of the Emmaus disciples, we will ask how the Eucharist informs and transforms every meal we share.
The World on Our Table: Confronting Hidden Injustices in our Food Choices
Karla Kauffman and Amy Ellison
Writer Wendel Berry observed, “How we eat affects how the world is used.” We will discuss how eaters, growers, animals, and the earth are affected by both global food system (e.g., imported foods and fresh foods at any season) and the local food system. And we will discuss several approaches which bring more justice in our eating, such as sovereignty, Fair Trade, and eating local.
Growing Power: Urban Partnerships in Faith and Farming
Clare Butterfield and Erika Allen
Concrete and exciting ways that congregations can support local farmers by buying direct—how that can be hard, how it can be done, and why it matters.
Welcoming the Hungry and Homeless to the Table
Oreon K. Trickey
Every Wednesday evening, Breaking Bread, a ministry of LaSalle Street Church in Chicago, provides hospitality and outreach to hungry and homeless neighbors through a family-style dining experience. Come and learn, share, and explore both philosophical and practical approaches to providing meals in Jesus’ Name
Resources for Ethical Eating
Kirsten Peachey and Don Richter
Mobilize groups in your congregation to strengthen ethical eating practices by using Just Eating? Practicing Our Faith at the Table. Share strategies for teaching and learning based on this substantive guide.
The Welcome Table: Exploring God’s Grace through Drama and Art
Carol Montgomery-Fate, Lisa Wagner, and Elizabeth Jeep
This workshop, designed for people of all ages, will bring Bible stories to life! We will use storytelling and dramatic interpretation (verbal and non-verbal) to explore the theme of God’s extravagant welcome at the table of plenty. We will also create together movements to a psalm to share in the closing plenary. Ideas for extending these activities at home or in church/community groups will be provided.
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