As the morning sun begins to warm the grass and evaporate the dew, if you visit our campus, you just might find Katy Page in the lot adjacent to the playground in our Mission Garden digging, weeding, planting and picking.

When asked about the care of the garden, she chuckled and said: “Do you want to help?” Anyone willing to get their hands a little dirty will find they’re welcome by Katy who spearheads the planning and planting of the garden. She is indeed successful in getting occasional help from her grandchildren and other gardening members of the church. But some of her best partners in planting are the preschool children who help with seeds at the very beginning of the season. It’s clear this former Science teacher finds great joy in seeing the children learn about the lifecycle of plants and (hopefully—provided the harvest lines up with the end of the school year) taste the fruits of their labor.

When the plants mature, produce is picked and packed then distributed through Food for Others or Andrew Chapel’s food pantry. On Sunday mornings throughout the growing season, church attendees can purchase Farmer’s Market style with proceeds going back into sustaining the garden.

This mission garden is more than food. It’s fellowship, therapy in nature, education and nutritive—it’s being the church through creation.

After hearing the story of our Mission Garden, Food for Others sent a note of appreciation for the Andrew Chapel Community:

“We’ve recently started surveying the families who come to Food For Others for food and fresh produce is always one of our most requested items. Please let your congregation know how grateful we are. Food for Others is still serving 3,000 families per week – which is two times more families than before the pandemic. Your support makes a big difference.”

Don’t forget, produce is also available after Sunday worship for donations. Tomatoes are coming soon! Thank you!