A few years ago, First United Methodist Church in Sanford was in a different place.
The congregation faced the difficult decision to close, merge or reimagine its calling. For 12 weeks, church members took turns praying for guidance on what they should do. In the end, they discerned a way for the 145-year-old church to remain vital and relevant.
With new leadership and a $23,000 emerging ministries grant from the Florida United Methodist Foundation, the church launched The Neighborhood Co-op — a collaborative, physical space for nonprofits, social enterprise and small businesses to grow and invest in the community.
“We wanted to not only generate space that would incubate solutions to poverty but would also be a community gathering space to bring together folks who would otherwise not be in relationship with each other,” the Rev. Meghan Killingsworth said.
When Killingsworth and her husband, David, arrived as copastors of the church in 2017, they found a space filled with equal parts challenge and opportunity.
One need was community investment. Nearly 80% of the distressed neighborhoods in Seminole County are in Sanford, Killingsworth said.
Racial tensions were also a factor. Sanford received national attention in 2012 after the killing of Treyvon Martin and the subsequent trial.
Underlying it all was a disconnect between people of means and those who are struggling.
Church leaders recognized the challenges, but also saw an opportunity to bring the community together — to support and bridge social services, invest in next generations, and create new opportunities for spiritual formation.
Reimagining God’s kingdom
Reaching those goals meant looking at the resources the church already had and how they could be used to support the new ministry.
One was a 15,000-square foot building that had been home to the church’s Sunday school classes. Another was a large commercial kitchen that had been renovated through the generosity of community partners.
“These are the things we do have,” Killingsworth said. “How do we use them for God’s kingdom?”
Inspired by shared community spaces at White Rock United Methodist Church in Dallas, TX, the church launched The Neighborhood Co-op, the first nonprofit and social enterprise cooperative in Sanford.
Community partners work alongside each other in designated workspaces on the church campus. They benefit from shared building maintenance, insurance, Wi-Fi, copiers, cleaning and trash services, and conferencing space.
Current partners include leadership incubator Crave Inc., RSVP volunteer program, food relief initiatives Picnic Project and Grace & Grits, Conundrum Consultants, and a mental health therapist who offers trauma-informed care.
A speech-language pathologist specializing in treating Medicaid patients and English as a second language learners will soon call the co-op home. And with a little more than half the permanent space filled, the team has plans to add other diverse partners to the mix.
Ryan Bozeman, the church’s director of community engagement, facilitates collaboration and connection. His position and the co-op’s amenities were made possible through the foundation’s grant.
“These are the things we do have. How do we use them for God’s kingdom?” — Rev. Meghan Killingsworth
Ministry leaders have also worked to make that gift go further by reinvesting a portion in the foundation’s Development Fund for future payroll expenses.
And through a partner fee that sustains the ministry, the co-op is generating revenue to cover expenses and fund improvements to the church’s historic building.
Partners also commit to the values of the church — treating everyone with dignity, committing to investing in Sanford and creating measurable good. Nonprofit partners, such as the startup catering ventures that use the kitchen, are required to take 10% of their revenue over expenses and invest it in marginalized communities.
At the core of the initiative is the idea of collective impact — a synergistic relationship in which partners can do more together through shared goals, metrics and resources.
“We want to create collective impact among the art studio and the food program that are both in our building,” Killingsworth said. “How do they work together to generate more together than they would apart?”
A permanent home to grow
Picnic Project has increased its impact in the community since it began partnering with the church.
Founded in 2010, the Sanford-based nonprofit’s original operation was simple. Co-founders Mark Thompson and Bozeman would distribute meals in Centennial Park across the street from the church.
Thompson remembers how it started — with nothing more than “10 or 12 burritos or sandwiches” and the park benches. The duo would provide meals to anyone in need.
“If there was inclement weather, it wasn’t ideal, but we still did it,” Thompson said.
The Sunday meals soon attracted a following and the attention of neighbors, including some who weren’t pleased by the large gatherings. The meals made local media headlines, and police were sometimes called to the scene.
“They ended up volunteering half the time they came out,” Thompson said.
On one such occasion, the Rev. David Charlton, then pastor at First Sanford, invited Picnic Project to use the church as its new space.
The next week, they were inside, with access to the commercial kitchen, bathrooms and more space to provide additional services, such as haircuts, health screenings and clothing distribution.
When Picnic Project became a tenant of the new co-op ministry in 2019, it was able to expand its services again with a client-choice food pantry designed to feed about 60 families each week and offer them the dignity of choosing foods they like and know how to prepare.
The pantry provides a variety of fresh produce, dairy, bread, meats and non-perishable foods, accommodating food preferences, allergies and culinary traditions. And clients who have diabetes receive specially packed food boxes through a partnership with Advent Health.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Picnic Project transitioned exclusively to food distribution on-site and at designated food drops in Sanford, which expanded the amount of food being brought into the community each week. At food drops, the Picnic Project moves 30,000 pounds of food into the community, totaling up to 80,000 pounds per month.
Central to this massive operation is partnerships with other Sanford churches, which provide volunteers and food donations.
Carole Pegram, lay leader at First Sanford, saw the increased needs caused by the pandemic first-hand while collecting information from clients, many of whom had never been to the in-person meal service.
“You would see brand new people every week,” she said.
And with many people out of work, maintaining and expanding food relief is a priority. The feeding ministry will soon buy a box truck so it can receive larger orders. They’ll be coordinated by a part-time food rescuer — the nonprofit’s first paid position.
No matter the size of meals or where they are being eaten, Picnic Project leaders emphasize the importance of relationships and prioritizing understanding among people of different backgrounds and socioeconomic status.
“We still try to maintain those relationships and friendships and discussions. That was always a core element of it,” Thompson said. “They don’t come through a line; we serve them, they sit down. We encourage all volunteers to sit down and actually have a conversation.”
New role for small church
For Killingsworth, the co-op is all about recognizing the people who are already working to lift up the community and using the church to support them.
“And if it’s good, then it’s God,” she said. “If good is happening, that is prevenient grace, so we can join that. We don’t have to agree on all the things. … Opening up our hearts, our space, our mission has been helpful.”
And the ministry is about to open up even more. After discussions with city officials, Killingsworth has secured approval to expand the co-op and bring more partners into designated spaces.
It shows what is possible when people expand their vision of God’s kingdom and welcome all with open hearts, she said.
“Our folks truly were ready to say yes to where God was calling.”