Imagine playing a part in supporting one of Southwest Colorado's largest community gardens! 1000 Voices is an undertaking of Bayfield Christian Church to make available up to five acres of land for a minimum of five years for the sole purpose of allowing families, friends, schools, churches and communty groups to cultivate and harvest their own food. Let your voice be heard!
We invite you to share in this wonderful endeavor by being one of 1000 people that will make a one time tax -deductible donation of $135.00*. In doing so you will make a difference and be added to the list of many others that want to help families grow and harvest their own fresh produce.
(*Any amount is acceptable, and we appreciate your generosity! All funds donated are tax deductible )
Please send your check or money order payable to: Bayfield Christian Church / 1000 Voices And mail to:
Bayfield Christian Church/1000 Voices PO Box 771 Bayfield, Colorado 81122
Bayfield Christian Church has been serving the Bayfield community for 30 years. Located in the beautiful Pine River Valley and only minutes from Durango, Colorado, we are a fellowship of Christian believers who place a priority on community involvement and service.
The community garden idea arose as we considered the use of a five acre parcel adjacent to our current location, and the realization that the land is locked from all access points except across the church property. Feeling the need to help families grow their own food, we commenced with a test garden in 2009. The results were thrilling as we realized the potential that five acres would allow us to feed around 200 families.
Like the old adage that to "give a man a fish, you feed him once; but teach him to fish and he can eat forever!" Our intention is to make this land available note free, so that anyone interested can grow and harvest their own food. Our only request is that whoever uses the land consider donating 20% of their harvest to others.
Terms of Use:
Bayfield Christian Church will provide access, fencing, irrigation and basic soil treatments to any and all parties with the desire to grow food for themselves and not for resale or profit. We do not provide seed, weed control, or harvest labor. We ask that all users respect the efforts and produce of those in adjacent areas, and that you consider how the fruits of their labor might be used to encourage or help others.
Give us your feedback! Fill out the form below with encouragements, comments or questions, or just email us at: 1000voices@bayfieldchristian.com
The Biblical Mandate:
The Biblical texts that deal with caring for the poor, impoverished, or those in need of help are explicit and numerous. Early attitudes toward the poor are noted by Job’s companions as those who are: “oppressed and left destitute” (Job 20:19); “widows sent away empty handed and fatherless striped of strength” (Job 22:9); and those who are, “thrust off the path and forced to live in hiding” (Job 24:4). Psalm 9:18 gives the promise that says, “The Needy will not always be forgotten, nor will the hope of the afflicted ever perish.” There is a special care that God has for those in need, and throughout the history of God dealing with his people he makes provision for those less fortunate.As God was calling Israel out of Egypt and establishing the community laws of conduct, he included many mandates to provide for those who could not provide for themselves. This included loans without interest (Exodus 22:25-27) even to the extent that cloaks used as collateral would be returned for use overnight.
The Law also made the provision for collections to be made so that the fatherless and widows may come and to eat and be satisfied (Deuteronomy 14:28,29)Psalm 37:21 states that the righteous are those who give generously, and in the New Testament God’s people in the church continue the care of the widows and orphans, those in need, and even your enemies (Romans 12:8,13,20) these are the Biblical mandates to give and give generously.
However, there was another principle that God ordained for the care of those in need. That principle is found in verses like Exodus 23:11 and Leviticus 19:9 that introduces a mechanism that allowed the poor and needy to collect food for themselves, and allow use of the land to cultivate and grow their own food.
This was a remarkable thing in the ancient world, it affords people undergoing hard times the opportunity to participate in solving their own problem of having enough food. Leviticus 25:35-38 expands the idea and even compares it to the way God brought the people out of Egypt. It is as if God is saying, “Mimic my goodness to you by your goodness to others.”
Testimonials:
Our family was struggling financially last summer and the garden was literally a lifesaver. We felt that God spoke to us about getting off of food stamps. The garden helped us to be able to have fresh produce once the harvest started to roll in, and it was food that we had labored over. God gave us back some self-respect through this project. We finished eating some of the squash in early January. The bounty has blessed us as we continue to struggle upward in our finances.
Our experience last summer as "newbie" gardeners gave all of us the confidence to know that it truly is God who makes things grow. We planted the seed and watered and weeded, but the miracle of growth and the amazing gift of the harvest came from God alone. We have learned much and are confident that with help and more knowledge we can grow at our home as well as support the Bayfield Christian Community Garden with our efforts.
Thanks for consecrating a space which was used for much godly instruction between the families that had their hands in the dirt. Many days, moms would be recounting Jesus' parables to the children as we marveled at their truths played out in the soil in front of us. Other lessons learned were the value of hard work; patience to wait for the harvest; problem-solving skills; responsibility; teamwork; endurance to finish the weeding; and so much more!
