The Dream:
What began as a dream full of possibilities transformed into a tangible manifestation of the church during challenging times.
The initial question we faced as a church plant was how to address the pervasive issue of daily hunger. We sought the optimal solution, not just any solution, by delving into scripture and missional practices. Our aim was to transcend the conventional food pantry model and actively engage with the 8,000 individuals grappling with food insecurity within our community.
In our exploration, we discovered that people were forced to find immediate answers to hunger every day. While the initial questions were straightforward, the most pressing and daunting question was, “Where will I find my next meal?”
This question – one that I have personally encountered numerous times – profoundly shaped my perspective on people and their interaction with the gospel. We recognized the necessity of addressing this question before we could introduce the question, “Who is Jesus?” We gradually realized that Jesus was the ultimate question, not the initial one.
I vividly recall a van ride with friends en route to a conference. The words that emerged from my mouth felt divinely inspired. When asked about my future plans, I responded without hesitation, driven by obedience rather than conscious thought: “End food insecurity in 10 major cities.”
As soon as I uttered those words, my mind registered the profound statement my heart had just declared. I was taken aback by the audacity of the goal I had spontaneously set for myself.
The weight of my declaration lingered for two years. I suggested to my wife that we incorporate a new practice into our dinner routine: Praying for those who lacked a meal. We felt it was crucial to witness God’s work before taking action ourselves. This practice, initially a nightly dinner ritual, evolved into a more assertive plea: “Can we provide food for those without a meal?”
This marked the inception of dreams and visions that would crystallize into a novel and unprecedented expression of the church. As we formulated new missional practices and developed as practitioners, we remained steadfastly committed to two core principles.
- First, discipleship is non-negotiable
- Second, preach good news to the poor.
These two shaped our expression without mission drift year after year.
The Reality:
I acknowledge that not everyone aspires to establish a grocery store. While it may be a personal passion, a micro grocery store and coffee bar might not strike everyone as a groundbreaking expression of the church. However, I beg to differ based on a fundamental principle in urban environments: foot traffic. How else can we consistently encounter individuals who are hungry and seeking sustenance? We needed a vehicle to facilitate daily interactions with people.
Storehouse Grocers and Coffee was established in 2019 to address the lack of affordable and accessible grocery options in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood. It aims to provide healthy and culturally responsive food options and community gathering spaces for urban neighborhoods. The grocery store was also created to support the local activities of Faith City Church in Dayton’s Bluff.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, Storehouse Grocers and Coffee served more than 10,000 meals to the community and became a new expression of church, a mutual aid outpost. It became an essential business to the community as people were not able to go to other establishments.
- Storehouse Grocers and Coffee is a for-profit business with the goal of making disciples and sustaining an independent expression of the church. They baptized eight people in 2021 and four more in 2022.
- In 2021, Faith City Church decided to have a church expression in the same building as Storehouse Grocers to create a new ecosystem of change by having a church, workforce development, and a for-profit business working together to make disciples among the poor.
- The Storehouse’s mission is “changing destinies by ending every day hunger.” The goal of the organization is to address poverty by providing affordable and fresh food to the local community, and to use the funds to fuel the ministry of the local church.
- Storehouse Grocers and Coffee partners with local nonprofits and community groups on initiatives like food drives and neighborhood beautification projects.
- The grocery store sources high-quality groceries and pantry staples from local farms and artisans whenever possible to support the community.
This vision was realized not solely through the financial support of those who believed in us, but also through the contributions of those who believed in the transformative power of this new expression.
I distinctly remember Kevin, our first disciple at Storehouse Grocers, who had been grappling with alcohol dependence and living on the streets. He became a daily presence, sharing his insights about the community and engaging in conversations about God.
Our model was often met with misunderstanding. Some assumed that Storehouse Grocers was driven by profit, but its core purpose was to serve as a missionary practice for reaching those who were not actively engaged with the church. This misconception was prevalent.
Then, in 2019, we faced a significant challenge or opportunity, depending on one’s perspective: a global pandemic. The days of March 14 and 15, 2020, were remarkably successful, as we sold out of all our inventory within hours.
In the wake of the pandemic, we transformed into a new expression of the church, a mutual aid outpost. Our model gained traction as other establishments were forced to close. Grocery stores were deemed essential businesses, and as a church with a grocery store, we became an indispensable resource for our community. That year, we served over 10,000 meals, and we adopted a new practice within our expression: survival before revival. We learned how to navigate the most difficult times to usher in the most fruitful era of our expression.
I often reflect on our journey to becoming a disciple-making church that operates a grocery store. Over the past five years, I have witnessed the closure of both large and small churches, observed individuals deconstructing their faith, and even mourned the loss of lives during these trying times. For Faith City Church, this new reality entailed meeting the social needs of the community. In 2021, our church resolved to establish a church expression within the same building, not merely an outpost, but a new ecosystem of change.
The success of the church’s future-ready expression can be measured by:
- Number of disciples made: This aligns with the central mission of disciple-making. Tracking the number of people who have come to faith and are actively growing in their faith would be a key metric.
- Community engagement and impact: Since the expression is community-focused, measuring the level of engagement with the local community and the positive impact it has on the neighborhood would indicate success. This could include metrics like the number of people served by the for-profit business, the number of jobs created through workforce development, and qualitative feedback from the community.
- Adaptability and growth: As the expression is meant to be adaptable, the church should track how well it responds to changes in the community and its own internal dynamics. This could be measured by the number of new initiatives launched, the success rate of those initiatives, and the overall growth and sustainability of the church ecosystem.
We prefer the term “ecosystems” over “churches” because our future-ready expression encompasses three primary elements: a church, workforce development, and a for-profit business. These components work in synergy to foster discipleship within our community, particularly among the poor. We believe our expression is unique in its approach to making disciples while sustaining an independent expression.
The key elements of the church’s future-ready expression are:
- Disciple-making is central to their mission.
- The expression is shaped by the disciples and their needs, not solely by the leaders.
- It is adaptable and willing to take on new forms as needed.
- It is community-focused, with 80% of the congregation living in the neighborhood.
- It includes a church, workforce development, and a for-profit business all working together.
While a grocery store might not align with your vision, you may still dream of a new, future-ready expression. This expression could be missional or traditional, profitable or not. The crux of any new expression lies in making disciples. These disciples will shape the expression to effectively reach new people. Our church now comprises predominantly individuals under 40, and 80% of our congregation resides within our neighborhood. The expression you envision will evolve with each practice that is established. The overarching goal should be to make disciples wherever and whenever possible.
If we were to meet, my initial step would be to explore your gifts, passions, and story, as these elements shape your experience in disciple-making. If you are currently aspiring to develop a new expression, remember that while the story begins with you, it will not end with you. Remain receptive to its evolution into a future-ready expression.
