Tag Archive for: leadership

Eight Months In: What God is Doing at Bastrop Central

Every Wednesday evening at the Bastrop Farmers Market, something powerful is quietly happening.

For the past eight months, we have been setting up tables, grills, and tents — but more importantly, we have been showing up. What started as a new site has grown into a weekly rhythm of service, conversation, and community that continues to deepen and stretch us.

In the photo above, you will see our site coordinators, Cody and Michele, leading one of our Table Talk discussions, a 30-minute conversation we have each week before serving begins. These are not lectures. They are real, honest, and relational moments where volunteers and guests alike are invited to reflect on what God is doing in their lives. It is a time to share stories, ask questions, and explore how we can take what we are learning and live it out that very evening, as we serve burgers, listen to prayer requests, and engage with one another across the table.

This kind of intentional space is what sets Feed the Need Missions apart. We are not just feeding people physically, we are creating a place where people are seen, known, and invited into something deeper.

 

“Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together… but encouraging one another…”
Hebrews 10:24–25


Over the summer, we have seen a significant increase in guests, from longtime locals struggling to make ends meet to newcomers still trying to find their footing in the community. The need is growing. So is the opportunity.

We have also seen an influx of volunteers serving to complete community service hours, from students building resumes to individuals walking through brokenness and challenges. Many of them are unfamiliar with Jesus or unsure of what it means to follow Him. This has opened doors for deeper conversations and real discipleship. It is stretching our team in the best ways — teaching us to listen better, serve more intentionally, and recognize that every interaction is a ministry moment.

 

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Luke 10:2


Even among our volunteer team, something beautiful is taking place. Most of our core team did not know each other before launching this site. But week after week, we have watched friendships form, leadership grow, and people step up in unexpected ways — helping with food prep, leading discussion, praying with guests, and simply being present. It is a picture of what happens when the body of Christ comes together with a shared mission.

 

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”
1 Corinthians 12:27


This site is also a first for us in another way: it was launched by our Missions Council — a group of local leaders committed to planting and sustaining sites in their region. For over a year, they prayed, planned, and prepared. And now, that investment is bearing fruit — not just in meals served, but in lives touched and disciples made.

We are still learning. We are still growing. But we are doing it together, and God is using it.

If you have ever driven by on a Wednesday night and wondered what’s going on… come see for yourself. Grab a burger. Join the conversation. Ask questions. You might just find that God wants to use you, too.

As Jesus said:

 

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:35

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What It’s Like Working in a Christian Workplace

Hi, my name is Shayla Tangen, and on January 1st, 2024, I began my Feed the Need Missions internship. A few years ago, my family felt called to move to Texas, where my dad, Sean Tangen, took on the role of Program Director with Feed the Need. Since then, my whole family has been involved with the organization. My boss and his wife, Jonah and Christy Beyer, have embraced me and my family with open arms. Working with them has been such a joy. Jonah’s passion for building relationships and expanding God’s Kingdom makes him the best boss I ever could have hoped for (I had to butter him up a little!).

At the beginning of my internship, I was seventeen years old and knee-deep, all things college-prep/senior year of High school. Not long after starting, I was taught that every workday is started with time focused on God. It didn’t matter how busy we were; a day started in the Word was a right one. The tool we use for spiritual growth is called a Thred Journal. If you check out the blog on our 2024 Fired Up Conference, you can read more about it!

It came to Jonah’s attention that I didn’t have a study Bible, and a week later, he surprised me with a beautiful, leather-covered, 25-pound study Bible. The thing is an absolute beast, and I love it so much! The fact that someone cared about me and my spiritual growth enough to buy me such a grand piece of art meant a great deal to me, and it set the tone for the rest of my year.

The Feed the Need family has poured into me earnestly, consistently, faithfully, and fervently. I am surrounded by God-fearing adults who want to see me succeed. I recognize how blessed I am and how rare that is in today’s workplace. I have been pushed far outside my comfort zone. That seventeen-year-old Shayla wouldn’t recognize me today.

I have learned that praying out loud isn’t only for people who are naturally comfortable praying in public or have a massive vocabulary of conspicuous Bible lingo. It’s for anybody who has a voice. Don’t get me wrong, I still panic when I’m voluntold to pray, but it doesn’t matter what other people think of me when I’m talking to God. I no longer feel inadequate to share knowledge about the Bible, and I don’t get embarrassed when I am unable to answer somebody’s question.

I have spent a lot of time praying for my next steps in the organization and am excited about the new role I’ll be playing in the mission. Thanks to a workplace focused on Jesus, I’ve experienced growth in every area of my life, not just at work. I’ve learned that being a daughter of the Most High is an incredible honor, and I’ve come to accept that God loves me just the way I am.

I pray that your love will overflow more and more and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Philippians 1:9-11

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Letting God Lead: Jace’s Story

It’s easy to do what we’ve always done. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” is all too familiar. Change can be incredibly hard, and stepping out into the unknown is often unnerving. 

Just six months ago, I was on staff at a church in the southeastern corner of Iowa making plans to launch a mutli-site campus for a growing church. I had a carefully thought-out plan for the next several years concerning my position and the church’s growth.  I’ll spare you the details, but it was a really good plan.  Just before we got into the thick of planting, my wife, Lindy, thought it would be good to recharge with folks we knew would encourage us and pray over us, and rest a little before we kicked into full-blown church planting busyness. So, in late February, we made a trip to Texas to visit our faith family and close friends.  The trip was amazing and we got far more than we had hoped for!

One evening towards the end of our visit Lindy asked, “We’re moving back to Texas aren’t we?” “No way,” I told her. “We’re planting a church in Iowa,” I reassured. The visit had been an incredible time to recharge. I felt more confident in my giftings and how God would use them in Iowa. Little did I know God was putting into motion a new plan. The problem was it did not align with my carefully crafted plan. 

After a couple weeks, God began to stir within my heart. I even found myself wrestling with the decision I had already made and was set on following through with. I was planting a new church and that’s the end of it!!! It was not the end of it, however.  Cue dark billowing clouds rolling in and lightning strike. Ok, so it wasn’t quite that dramatic—but the Lord did remind me, 

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but the Lord’s decree will prevail.—Proverbs 19:21

Now the hard part. In my pride I felt foolish. I was leaving the church at a critical time as the launch was happening. How would that look?  I was moving my family back to Texas away from the family we moved to be closer to in the first place. In all His goodness, God revealed I was more concerned about how others would perceive this transition than my obedience to His calling for myself and my family. Pride is a tricky beast. Kick it in the pants, repent, and prepare to live in the fullness God intends for us. 

The question I have to ask you is this: Are you willing to move as the Lord leads? Are you willing to step back from the comfort of the familiar? Is God calling you do something hard or maybe bigger than you can seemingly handle? When we move in accordance with the Holy Spirit, we often get a front row seat to see the beauty of God’s work unfold before us. What’s holding you back? 

About the Writer
Hi, I’m Jace Allen! I’m the newest staff member to join Feed the Need Missions team.  Actually…I’m back, y’all!  For those of you who don’t know, I had the privilege of serving on staff with Feed the Need Missions from 2017-2019. My wife Lindy, my son Jax, and my daughter Piper made it back to Texas the first part of June. I cannot adequately express how overjoyed we are to be back and serving with Feed the Need Missions! God is on the move.  He’s always on the move and we are honored to be a part of His work. We can’t wait to see Jesus continue to transform lives in the communities in which we serve. 
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