A Bull in the Canyons

How a Heartland church discovered its local ministry

Heartland churches are geared toward serving their communities, meeting needs to build relationships, in order to spread the transforming love of Jesus. A church can put real effort into discerning opportunities: gift assessments, strategy sessions, testing possibilities.

But sometimes, all it takes is a lost bull.

Pastor Daniel Bear in St. Paul, Nebraska, relates how the Meat Ministry at Grace Baptist Church began:

“In 2018, a local farmer was telling me about a bull he couldn’t catch. The farmer had leased some ground to raise beef, and when the lease ended, the cattle had to move. There was one bull—the sire—who refused to be caught. They tried trucks, ATVs, and horses, but the bull would evade them in the canyons. ‘If you can shoot the bull, you can have it to butcher,’ he told Pastor Daniel. ‘It needs to be gone.’”

In Pastor Daniel’s words, “After removing this large animal from the property (two farmers guesstimated it at over 2,600 lbs. live-weight), men from the church butchered it in the parsonage garage. We divided out 800 lbs. of roasts and hamburgers to church families; widows and single moms got the first choice.

“Other local farmers heard about it, and since 2018, we’ve butchered more than a dozen head of beef, as well as several hogs, to share with those in need. As an added bonus, unchurched men are invited to join them in the processing and become co-owners through their labor.”

This has helped develop outside relationships.

Six years later, a walk-in cooler/freezer was donated to the church. People matched the donation with time and labor (Pastor Daniel’s dad, an HVAC technician, got the freezer running), mounted it on a trailer, and took it wherever it was needed.

Now they can process animals all year long – more than 1,000 lbs. of meat were distributed in 2025. And when a local company wanted to donate 2,000 lbs. of sausages to needy families, they knew who to call.

Pastor Daniel points out: “This ministry has developed great flexibility (you never know when you’re going to get a call) and phenomenal teamwork (we can have beef in the freezer two hours after finding out about it). It has also given them a good reputation in the community and has helped them spread the love of Jesus in a very real way. All this from a church willing to ‘meat’ needs.”

Let’s encourage them and also challenge each other:

This is the result of a culture of “Yes, and let’s see.” Grace Baptist heard about a need and met it. They’ve gotten men involved, with gifts and resources they already possess. Pastor Daniel has done his homework: that makes expansion possible. Grace Baptist was poised for the question: “What can we do next?” The church’s reputation and reach expanded, and these are the result of faithful service, not the goal.

Ministry everywhere is unique; embrace it. You might not have cattle roaming your streets, or farmers with the equipment and expertise to butcher a cow. But your community does have needs; your church does have resources; you are God’s missionaries right there, right now.

Is there a bull roaming your canyons? Tell the farmer: “Sure! We’ll take care of it.” And see where God takes you.

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Want to talk about discerning your church’s gifts, strengths, and missions opportunities? Dave Moore, Heartland’s Church Mobilizer, is ready to help! dave@convergeheartland.org

Want to bounce questions off Pastor Daniel – or send him a note of encouragement? pastordanielbear@gmail.com