At the heart of outreach efforts for Journey Church of Lexington is the desire to not only feed people spiritually, but to feed them physically.
Journey Church, led by pastors Mark Rachels and Matt Leonard, is a non-denominational church that has been active in the Davidson County community since it was founded in 2011. Initially meeting at Pickett Elementary School before having their own building, Journey Church commenced a backpack program through their partnership with Pickett. “Pickett became our first home where God showed us that the church can make an impact on the local community and schools,” says pastor Mark Rachels. Church leadership and volunteers witnessed first-hand the food insecurities of many children and families.
This experience cultivated a desire to find additional ways to meet the basic and practical needs of their community. Journey Church began a Thanksgiving Day meal initiative, inviting children, individuals, and families to come to their building to have a safe place to fellowship while enjoying Thanksgiving lunch. Over the years, the church’s volunteer base grew to where Thanksgiving meals could also be delivered to neighborhood shut-ins.
On the first Sunday of every month, Journey Church volunteers arrive at the building as early as 3:30am to begin cooking and preparing a community breakfast, which is served between their Sunday morning services. Members of the community are provided a fresh, hot breakfast that includes biscuits and gravy, eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, breakfast rice, and a variety of beverages.
In an effort to reach those in the community who may be unable to travel to the church building to receive a meal, Journey Church purchased and renovated a food truck two years ago which they named “Loaves & Fish.” The food truck brings meals and treats to various Davidson County schools, organizations, events, and neighborhoods multiple times a month.
The meals and treats offered from the church building as well as from the food truck are always free. Journey Church has trusted that God will raise up the volunteers and will supply the food and resources needed to continue serving others.
“You all feed a lot of people,” is what pastor Matt Leonard often hears from community leaders when Journey Church is mentioned in conversations. “Every local church has its individual strengths with outreach efforts, and Journey Church has emerged to be a church that is known for feeding the community,” says Leonard.
Journey Church hopes to be able to purchase and renovate another food truck in the future. “Logistically, “Loaves & Fish” can only go out twice a week right now. If Journey Church was to have another food truck, we would be able to provide more meals every week to those in need,” says Leonard.
Journey Church feels blessed to be welcomed into schools and into other areas of the community to provide for those in need. “Christ calls us to love our neighbors. One of the ways we can do so is to feed people,” says Leonard.
In 2023, Journey Church set a goal to provide 10,000 free meals to the greater-Davidson County area. Last year, they surpassed their goal by serving 28,000 free meals. Leonard says that although Journey Church is well on its way to serving just as many meals this year, the church’s main hope in 2024 is to simply provide the love of Christ with every meal provided.
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