There are endless ways to take action and care for Creation in your community: plant a native garden, install a rain barrel, switch from plastic to paper products, or post reminders to turn off the lights. The list goes on. But did you know that making pizza can also be a way to live out your faith and promote food justice?

In Baltimore County, three congregations—Camp Chapel United Methodist Church, Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, and Saint Ursula Catholic Community—are coming together to host a creative new workshop series: Faith Grows by Pizza. Kicking off on June 22nd, participants will gather at St. Ursula to plant tomatoes and basil in containers. Each person will take their plants home and care for them throughout the summer. In early August, the second workshop will be held at Camp Chapel UMC to harvest homegrown ingredients, bake pizzas, and enjoy a summer garden party. The series will culminate in a joyful Fall Harvest Fest: Greek Food Is Green Food, at Saint Demetrios in October.

This flavorful initiative is more than just fun; it’s a form of grassroots food justice. By teaching participants how to grow food at home, the series fosters deeper self-reliance and resilience. Growing your own food builds connection to the earth, reduces dependence on global food supply chains, reduces our climate footprint, and empowers families and individuals to take part in a more sustainable and equitable food system. It’s a small but meaningful step toward ensuring that everyone has access to healthy, affordable, and locally grown food.

Food justice is about more than just what’s on our plates—it’s about who has access to land, skills, and community resources. It’s estimated that fresh produce in the U.S. travels more than 1,500 miles on average before it reaches our tables, and processed food around 1,300 miles. That long journey takes a toll on our common home, from fossil fuels to packaging waste. When we grow food ourselves—including in containers on a porch or balcony—we cut down on emissions, reconnect with the cycles of Creation, and nourish both body and spirit. Plus, who doesn’t love delicious, freshly grown food?

“Faith Grows by Pizza” brings these lessons together and seeks to share them with the broader community. The idea for this event was dreamed up in March of 2025, during the National Faith + Climate Forum. Camp Chapel United Methodist Church hosted a in-person session of the National Faith + Climate Forum, a nationwide event that can be livestreamed or attended in-person at host locations, such as Camp Chapel UMC. The National Faith + Climate Forum is organized by Blessed Tomorrow, a “coalition of diverse religious partners working to advance climate solutions in faithful service to God”. 

Blessed Tomorrow also makes a grant program (Getting Outside the Walls 2025: Congregational Grants for Climate Action in Local Communities) available to faith leaders who participated in the National Faith + Climate Forum. This program provides projects with $500 through $1,000 of funding, which can support a variety of initiatives. Camp Chapel United Methodist Church, Saint Ursula Catholic Community, and Saint Demetrios Green Orthodox Church came together to apply for this grant, and were funded to support the “Faith Grows by Pizza” workshop series. This grant program and workshop series promoting food justice is a wonderful example of the positive impact that congregations can make when we come together to support our common home. 

By planting seeds of faith—and basil and tomatoes—these congregations are modeling how food can be a powerful way to grow justice, build community, and care for our common home. We hope that you’ll join them to grow your faith… by pizza!

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