Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Matthew 9:37-38 NKJV
Agape Food room
Brief History
The Agape Food Room (Agape) was established in 1997 by a handful of volunteers working from a building located near the old Salem Elementary School. Agape began as a member agency of the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas (FBNCA) distributing food provided by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) which seeks to supplement the diets of low-income residents of Fulton County, including the elderly and disabled, with food and nutritional assistance delivered once a month.
As knowledge of Agape spread throughout the community and the number of households being served increased, additional individuals, churches and local organizations joined in to expand the program through their contributions of time, money and food. Agape also became a member of the Feeding America network and began receiving excess food from Wal-Mart in Ash Flat. Agape uses donor funds to purchase food through the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas, as well as through Salvage, Wholesale and/or Retail channels to supplement what is provided by USDA and Feeding America.
In time, Agape outgrew its old facility and moved to its present location behind the Salem Church of Christ. Agape continues to serve the growing needs of Fulton County residents and by the close of 2026, was serving approximately 300 households each month.
Jail ministry
Members of the Salem church have been active in a jail visitation ministry 2015.
Our current ministry leaders, Larry Brothers for the men and Karen Coffman for the women's, coordinate weekly visits and bible studies, provide new bibles and study material like the "Running from the Devil" books, and even bring a portable baptistry to the jails for those motivated to become Christians.
Local jails involved include Fulton County Jail, Izard County Jail and Sharp County Jail. The programs run at each facility with full cooperation and support from the county sheriff's departments.
Mazatlan, Mexico
Our churches involvement in the mission work in Mazatlan, Mexico, has been ongoing since 2018.
Connie and Chip Hicks, working from the Prineville Church of Christ in Oregon, have been directing the work there for many years and seen the program go through many ups and downs. Most recently a leader and preacher there, Jose, passed away suddenly leaving his wife Bea, a widow.
Collections were made and the church Elders delegated $1,500 for the work there and to help with funeral costs.
While funds are always needed and welcome, actual workers going to Mazatlan is truly a blessing. With recent world events and continued local violence impede the work, still volunteers venture into this much needed and very rewarding field.
If a challenging and vastly rewarding experience serving Christ appeals to you, then Mazatlan is a ministry worth looking into.
Romania (Ukraine)
Serving Christian brothers and sisters in Romania, and Ukraine whenever possible, is a calling our Brother David W Gibson, has answered for many years.
While serving as preacher for the church in Paragould, AR, Brother David worked many years in traveling and serving in Romania and Ukraine along with many others. The church here in Salem joined in with monetary and volunteer support as this work continues to grow and shed blessings on all involved.
Shipments of various supplies are gathered and shipped the church in Cluj, Romania, where it is stored and then sent to other cities (like Arad, Romania) and when possible even taken into Ukraine.
War in recent years has shifted much of the work but not dimmed the efforts to lift up our brothers and sisters to include the initial refugees from the war with Russian beginning in 2022. Countless people, in and out of the church family, are being blessed as the the Word and love and Christ is shared daily.
Christians meeting in Arad, Romania