School for Food Justice, Faith, and Storytelling

School for Food Justice, Faith, and Storytelling

The School for Food Justice, Faith, and Storytelling looks a little different in 2025. We are hosting two in-person retreats aimed at bringing together food and faith leaders from across the state to learn about the power of narrative, root causes of food insecurity, the history of the charitable food system, and the role of hospitality in food ministries. We invite you to join us at our next retreat!

Launched in January of 2021, the School for Food Justice, Faith and Storytelling brings together faith leaders across North Carolina to: 

Members of the Spring 2023 Cohort gathered for their final session at Union Grove United Methodist Church in Hillsborough, NC.
  • Investigate the root causes of hunger and the injustices present in our food systems.
  • Uncover and challenge the dominant narratives about hunger and develop the skills and knowledge to tell true, personal, and compelling stories that transform the conversation on hunger in communities.
  • Plan to implement a new or adapt an existing ministry that works toward eliminating or reducing food insecurity in your community.

Our three cohorts (2021, Spring 2023, Fall 2023) included more than 100 faith leaders committed to deepening their understanding of systemic injustices in the food system and how communities of faith can respond to these inequities.

The next SFJFS cohort will take place in the Spring of 2025, with applications opening in Fall of 2024. Can’t wait to get involved? Come to the Table offers several trainings on topics covered in SFJFS to faith communities. Get in touch with CTTT Project Manager David Allen (david@rafi.gameflow.design) to learn more.

What is the need? Why this program? Why now?

The pandemic exposed more people in the U.S. to hunger, and it has also exposed the fragility of our industrialized food system. Faith communities have a unique role to play in this setting, as many churches have food pantries, community meals, and other food programs as part of their outreach ministries. The School for Food Justice, Faith, and Storytelling brings together faith leaders to learn, grow, and sharpen their abilities to offer new and creative solutions to the issue of hunger within their communities. The cohort centers on the power of story for good or bad and features weekly discussions about how stories and narratives hold a special power over our beliefs about people experiencing hunger.

What will participants gain from this program?

The School for Food Justice, Faith, and Storytelling brings together a cohort of faith leaders to:

  • Investigate the root causes of hunger and the injustices present in our food systems.
  • Uncover and challenge the dominant narratives about hunger and develop the skills and knowledge to tell true, personal, and compelling stories that transform the conversation on hunger in communities.
  • Plan to implement a new or adapt an existing ministry that works toward reducing food insecurity in your community.

Program Components

The training program is eight sessions in total, with two day-long “retreat” style sessions bookending our time together with six 2 hour sessions sandwiched in-between. RAFI-USA is committed to supporting all individuals with accessibility needs, and we will do our best to accommodate family and community needs for all participants.

All participants are expected to be able to commit to no more than one hour per session of additional “homework” (reading or viewing).

Curriculum

Sessions will cover (but are not limited to) the following topics:

  • The impact of racial inequities on hunger
  • How systemic and structural issues impact hunger
  • Innovative examples from the field that capture justice-centered approaches to reducing hunger
  • The injustices present in our food system around farmers of color and corporate consolidation
  • How faith leaders can examine harmful narratives around hunger and offer new narratives in their place

Questions?

Please reach out to David Allen, Come to the Table Project Manager, 984.214.2816, with any questions.

SFJFS Sessions 5-7 Insights

December 13, 2023
Check out some highlights from sessions 5-7 of Come to the Table’s Fall 2023 School for Food Justice, Faith, and Storytelling (SFJFS).
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Meet the Fall 2023 SFJFS Cohort

October 26, 2023
For the first time, Come to the Table opened up its food and faith cohort to a national audience of leaders. The cohort features members from 19 states across the country who work at the intersection of food justice and faith, at churches, non-profits, farms, and a host of other great organizations.
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Announcing the 2023 School for Food Justice, Faith, and Storytelling

June 9, 2023
Come to the Table is excited to announce that registration is now open for The School for Food Justice, Faith, and Storytelling, set to begin in January of 2023. The fellowship brings together faith leaders to investigate root causes of hunger, uncover and challenge the dominant narratives around hunger, and equip leaders to transform these conversations in their community.
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SFJFS Session 8 Insights

May 10, 2023
The School for Food Justice, Faith, and Storytelling (SFJFS) held its eighth and final session on April 27 featuring three types of storytelling exercises and a recap of our time together.
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