Written by Pam Smith Wednesday, 25 July 2012 00:00

Would you expect to see the president of a seminary to be living missionally by kneeling in the dirt not to pray, but to pull weeds? You would if it is Biblical Seminary’s president.  

He’s not just a president…he’s a member of Living Hope Church, a church that studied stewardship and came up with the idea of gardening as a way to bless the community. 

They’ve planted sunflowers, herbs, onions, tomatoes, peppers, beans, broccoli, beets, lettuce, kale, radishes and potatoes.  Church members and others in the community pay $25 a year and tend the garden a few hours a week to receive a share of its bounty. Everyone involved can take something from it and there’s plenty to take.

In fact, surplus from the harvest is donated to the church’s food pantry, which serves about 20 to 30 families.

Living Hope is hoping to attract interest in the garden among the larger community, something they’ve already begun to do. A local family decided to get their hands dirty this summer in the garden as a way to teach their daughters what it takes to put food on the table.  They’ve enjoyed themselves so much that the 12-year-old daughter started her own small garden — stocked with peppers and tomatoes — in their backyard.  The family expressed that not only is it a ‘cool’ thing to do, but they’ve also made some new friends.

Two of those friends: the seminary president pictured above and the pastor of the church who are enjoying building a relationship with this new family.

So, that’s how it can be for missional living.   It can even include broccoli.

Pam Smith is the Vice President for Student Advancement at Biblical Seminary and also instructs in our counseling program in the areas of career and coaching. Email Pam at psmith@biblical.edu