From Pastor Biar’s Pen 

Time to Be the Church

            Unless a miracle occurred and the government did its job between the time I write this and the time it gets published, the shutdown endures and SNAP funding has failed to be renewed. And while there is certainly a time and a place to debate what role the State should play in establishing a welfare state vs. how much charity should belong to the Church, how much those benefits should include, who should receive them, etc. or who’s to blame for keeping the shutdown going, the concrete fact is that there are hungry people who need more help than usual in our community, and our foodbanks are already starting to feel the strain. 

In response, various churches and organizations of Fallon are forming a coalition of sorts to provide support as much as we are able. Updated lists of foodbanks and their hours will be made available soon, and a community-wide food drive is being initiated to help make sure those banks are stocked – lists of most in-demand items and drop-off locations should be coming up soon as well. We may not have the space/resources/volunteers to open up our own soup kitchen, but we can help support those who do.

I understand that times are tough all around, but if you are able to spare any extra as we approach the Thanksgiving season, I would encourage you to step up, let your sanctification shine, and show what love you can to those who are hurting as we pray for a resolution and the social service systems we have can do their job as we continually seek the balancing point of the proper use of resources to help the most amount of people possible. 

God’s blessings, Pastor Biar

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