In a disaster unlike any other, TBM is ministering in new ways to deliver help, hope and healing.
For years, Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield has served its community in a variety of ways, one in which is through a food pantry. Until mid-March families in need of food would come into the church’s ministry building, but with social distancing restrictions, the church had to alter its ministry method. Determined to continue meeting a growing need, the church began a weekly drive-thru food pantry.
Record unemployment has sent families that typically are financially stable scrambling. In the past few weeks, Bethlehem Baptist Church has seen the demand for food triple. Transporting the increasing amount of food to meet the growing need was becoming time and cost prohibitive, which meant some families could go unserved, and unfed. This is where TBM was able to help the church’s ministry.
TBM is blessed with many people and many tools for doing ministry. One of those tools is trailers. One of those trailers, along with a truck and a few TBM volunteers, is now used each week to pick up and load thousands of pounds of food from the Tarrant Area Food Bank then deliver, unpack and repack into family-sized containers. The TBM volunteers are then able to work alongside the members of Bethlehem Baptist Church as we together place the boxes of food in each car along with a prayer of blessing.
Beyond the drive-thru food pantry, several members of the church take the boxes of food to their shut-in neighbors who are in need of food.
The boxes include: frozen meats (chicken, beef, sausage), fresh produce (eggs, fruit, vegetables), frozen produce (eggs, fruit, vegetables), bread, yogurt, pasta, canned goods and specific food items for children.
Another blessing TBM has is wonderful individuals who invest their time and their money in TBM’s ministries. Due to the ongoing financial gifts, TBM was able to give the church’s food pantry two-months’ worth of funding to help them feed the families who come to them for help. The church is reaching families in need and showing the love of Christ with each visit and each week’s supply of groceries.