Forming Faith

For Christian education and nurture leaders.

Older children learn about global hunger

by Rosemary Widmer

Quiet settled over the usually boisterous fifthand sixth-grade Sunday school class as Gwen Gustafson Zook solemnly struck a piano key every eight seconds. Gwen, a Mennonite Central Committee representative, was using a powerful way to teach the children about worldwide hunger. They were shocked to learn that every eight seconds someone dies from hunger. This was a difficult message for the class to hear. What could they do to help?

When Tom Gunden, a farmer in the congregation, learned that these students wanted to help, he met with them to explain the Food Resource Bank Growing Project. He proposed partnering with them to sponsor a soybean field. Tom would donate labor, machinery, and fuel. The class would cover the cost of seed and fertilizer, plus provide $500 to rent a five-acre field from an Amish neighbor. After harvest the money from the crop would be sent to the MCC through the Food Resource Bank. The money would supply seeds and tools to farmers in a village that struggles to raise food.

Takoda was developing the rare skill of sacrifice.

The choice belonged to the students. Would they take on this project? They were eager to help feed the hungry, so they said yes to the challenge. There were many Sundays in the spring quarter when the entire Sunday school hour was spent on the Growing Project. Bible lessons were missed, memory work put aside. Instead of reading how the disciples chose to follow Jesus, they were living what it meant to follow Jesus!

As the class worked to raise money, they learned much about church life. They had the opportunity to provide leadership in the congregation, they saw the benefits of being part of a community that works together, and they learned about sacrifice.

As the students raised money, they learned much about church life.

Leadership in the congregation

Before the soybean crop was planted, the students presented their project to the congregation. As they spoke on behalf of the hungry, one student rang a chime every eight seconds, to signify a death from hunger. On the first Sunday of each month the children carried buckets around during fellowship time to solicit change from church members. They were amazed by the generosity and support they received.

Community

This project united the students in a common goal and a sense of community. Each made a pledge of money and agreed to help promote the project. Some enjoyed counting the money, and others made posters or worked on publicity. When they presented the plan to the congregation, some children were happy to speak, while others held signs and rang the chimes. At an age when it is so important to fit in, the students were demonstrating the value of their various gifts.

Sacrifice

At the beginning of the next school year, Takoda, a sixth grader, told the incoming fifthgraders about the project. He said that picking up stones in the field on a hot day was a hard job and that Tom Gunden had given him $15 to do it—all of which Takoda gave to the Growing Project. When I commented, “That was really a neat thing to do!” he mumbled, “My mom made me do it.”

Several more times he mentioned giving away all his money. He seemed to say this with a sense of appropriate pride, but also with longing for what he could have done with the cash. Takoda was developing the rare skill of sacrifice: giving up something you want so others can have something they need.

The Growing Project also taught students about planting and harvesting, crop rotation, depending on God for rain during a dry spell, and the economics of raising a crop. There is so much more to learn—about hunger, justice and injustice, food choices, agriculture, and so on. This is a start—to know that working together as a community can make a difference, and to be willing to struggle with sacrificial giving so that God’s justice can reign. It is a beginning to know that Jesus, who said “I have come to bring good news to the poor,” wants us to make a difference whenever we can.

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Rosemary Widmer is a pastor at College Mennonite Church in Goshen, Indiana.