As they prepared to celebrate the gift of new life as represented by the Resurrection, members of Liberty Baptist Church in Harbour View decided that it would be appropriate to give members of their new community gifts, too.

It was the second year the Suffolk campus of the Hampton-based church had participated in the annual food giveaway, and the Bridgeway Technology Center distribution helped contribute to the more than 2,800 people served between the two campuses.

Folks who had signed up to receive food during the giveaway showed up for a praise service and then were directed to the distribution area, where pallets were stacked with boxes containing about $25 worth of non-perishable food items that had been packed by the more than 200 members of the church’s student ministry during Disciple Week in March.

The food was paid for by members of the church who agreed to contribute money for boxes, either individually or in bundles. The church’s mission ministry then took the donated funds and used that money to buy the box contents from local vendors. Volunteers put out fliers about the giveaway and then manned the phones during an 11-day period in March, when folks were calling to register. In short, it was an effort by the whole church — and one that came as a welcome blessing for those who benefited from it.

“Jesus says, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not go hungry,’” Liberty executive secretary Jennifer Ward told staff writer Matthew A. Ward (no relation) during the distribution on Saturday. “We want to model the words of Christ.”

Clearly this is a church that takes seriously Christ’s command to feed the hungry. The members’ commitment to that command is a great way of connecting the church to its community.