Week of Compassion increases yields

By Fran Schnarre

Faithfulness will spring up from the ground
And righteousness will look down from the sky.
The Lord will give what is good,
And our land will yield its increase. Psa. 85:11-12

The farm magazines we receive in our home often tout in bold headlines products and practices that increase crop yields. Now Week of Compassion, like a top hybrid seed or a new tillage tool, increases the return per acre of corn, wheat, soybeans and other crops grown for the Foods Resource Bank.

As a Disciples minister and a long-time farmer, I was excited to learn of the Foods Resource Bank last year and to participate in a growing project in my home community of Centralia, MO. The Foods Resource Bank is an ecumenical organization that raises funds for third-world agricultural development by growing crops here in the United States.

Churches, both urban and rural, join with farmers, landowners and agri-business people to plant and harvest an acreage of corn, soybeans, wheat or other crop using donated inputs, land, labor and funds. The proceeds from the sale of the grain or produce are used by FRB members to equip and train subsistence farmers overseas. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is one of the 15 member denominations and agencies. (More information about the work of Foods Resource Bank is available at the website, www.foodsresourcebank.com.)

Week of Compassion is offering to partner with congregations to increase the yield of these growing projects. Matching grants of $1000 are available to congregations who choose to invest $1000, either by sponsoring a local growing project or by partnering with a church that is growing a crop. When the crop is sold and the proceeds are returned to FRB and designated to the Disciples FRB fund, the Week of Compassion can initiate programs overseas and give support to other ecumenical projects. Thus $1000 invested by your church may become $5,000 or $10,000 or more for Week of Compassion’s work of helping people feed themselves.

What a blessing! Faithfulness will spring up from the ground and the Lord will give what is good when we invest in feeding our brothers, our sisters and our Lord!

Fran Schnarre was recently named Manager of Growing Project Development and Rural-Urban Linkages for Foods Resource Bank. For more information, contact Fran at (573) 682-2980 or (573) 682-1548, fschnarre@socket.net or contact Johnny Wray at Week of Compassion.