The Gift Farm Garden

From seed to Cupboard: all is Gift!

The pandemic was one of the best things to happen to St. Andrew’s! We engaged in a full visioning and restructuring process, returning the Kingdom of God to heart of all that we are and do. Through Zoom interviews and covid-safe interactions we discerned God calling us to three new mission goals that asked to restructure how we had done community life for decades: Celebrate our Anglican Tradition, Cultivate each one of us as disciples and leaders, Connect in relationship as we serve our community. We integrated 11 standing committees into three Circles of Ministry and changed how we exercise leadership. We had no idea, though, how literally the Spirit meant cultivate…..

In the midst of all this change, God called us into urban farming through, and thanks to, the extraordinary gifts of many people particularly two newly arrived parishioners & organic famers and the landowners of the working farm on which we garden. The Gift Farm-Garden was born at Easter 2021. We give away fresh, organic food to the  St. Michael’s Cathedral Food Cupboard, group homes in Rutland, the Gospel Mission and households experiencing food insecurity.  We work together with 3 other Anglican churches in our region and community members of all faith traditions and none. In 2023 we kept farming through the horrific fires and in 2024 the Vancouver School of Theology partnered with us to offer a Summer Learning Hub Course ” Where Theology Meets the Soil”!