Multiplying Loaves & Fishes: Azure’s new church partnership, Azure Around the Table
When you’ve found something valuable, life-changing, and life-giving, you share it out of love for your neighbor. “We all want to build a better world, and we all want to live healthier lives in service to others. And that’s what Azure Around the Table (AATT) brings, and the charge I am blessed to lead,” says Azure’s AATT representative & marketing manager, Spencer Askew, who began with Azure in April. With a heart for ministry and a passion for regenerative agriculture, Spencer has fit in beautifully as he begins leading Azure Around the Table, Azure’s new church-focused initiative to bring healthy food to faith communities. Spencer comes to it from his love for neighbor, God, and organic gardening. He grew up as a pastor’s kid, was a founding member of a church plant, and has served on church staff.
“AzureAround the Table is a way to bring nourishment to your church family and your neighbors, all while helping to fund the mission work that matters to you,” says Askew. “The idea is simple: When a church serves as a community drop point for Azure orders, they open an avenue to bless their church family and the greater community with healthy food. We partner with them and return some of the proceeds to grow their ministries.” Those funds can be applied to your church’s ministry of choice (examples include your food pantry, homeless ministry, and mission trip fundraising). The goal is to unite faith communities around healthy food and a desire to bless their community.
The initiative began from the roots up. For many years, local drop coordinators have selected churches and communities of faith as locations for Azure deliveries. Some churches have sought more opportunities to share Azure with their communities, both within and outside their doors. A lot of people tell us they want to spread the Azure love with their brothers and sisters, to increase opportunities for learning about healthy living and the importance of eating well. Azure’s founder and CEO, David Stelzer, says, “Azure is about food grown the way God intended. We believe that a healthy church is a thriving church because when you aren’t limited by deteriorating physical health, disease, and illness, you can live an abundant life and serve the surrounding community more effectively.” It’s a fundamental truth: when children, families, and communities emphasize health from the beginning, instead of spending large amounts of time and energy on curing health problems, you can focus more time, energy, and talent on blessing others.
While Azure Around the Table is a new initiative for Azure, the connections between faith and food have been a hallmark of ministry throughout time. “Good food and gathering around the table was often a focal point of Jesus’ ministry…from the abundant provision when he fed the 5,000 to the celebration of the ‘Last Supper.’ The table represents family, connection, and hospitality, highlighting the reality of God’s beautiful design for creation and church community. We are called to Christian fellowship, and one of the best ways to do that is through a great meal,” Spencer remarks.
Here at Azure Standard, we take this call to heart, and we also take God’s command to be good stewards of our bodies and creation seriously. Azure began with the Stelzer family and a dream to return to a more natural way of farming. The Stelzers went organic before it was ever a trendy buzzword…a choice fueled by a desire for nutritional healing and a love for their neighbors and creation. The movement grew from that single farm into a nationwide mission to promote health and nourish our bodies.
Spencer adds, “There is never a question that what you are getting from Azure is made with the highest quality ingredients, and it emphasizes supporting small businesses and producers that are passionate about high-quality ingredients and the health of our country.”
Azure was intentional as it developed from a small family farm to a business bringing food to customers nationwide. We’ve always been about food and community. Our drop-centric model was designed to bring healthy food to communities that otherwise might not have access to healthful foods, to make it more affordable to eat nourishing foods, and to build strong communities. Our drops have always served as a means of bringing like-minded people together—people who share a common goal of eating good foods that are grown the way God intended.
One of the many benefits of Azure Around the Table is that it helps bring your church community closer to reaching a common goal of supporting the health of its members and the greater community outside your doors. David Stelzer further explains, “We want to give you a great reason to come together and bless your families—both spiritually and physically. We believe a healthy church is an effective church, and this is another way to support the growing body of believers and build a thriving community.” In addition, as Azure grows in your area, it will also provide opportunities for you to reach those in your community who might not otherwise walk through the doors of your church. Spencer adds, “Individuals and families all across your area will come to your church once a month to receive their order, and it will provide you with an opportunity to welcome, reach, serve, and bless those who aren’t a part of your congregation yet.”
The bottom line is that Azure Around the Table provides the opportunity to give true nourishment to your church family and your neighbors while helping to fund the mission work that matters to you.
As always, Azure is committed to helping people everywhere have access to nutritious and affordable foods, whether your community is large or small, rural or urban. Azure provides bulk foods for additional savings and convenience, especially helpful for families, church groups, mom-and-pop shops, soup kitchens, food pantries, and more. Orders are delivered monthly to a drop location where families and individuals meet to pick them up.
If your church is interested in being part of Azure Around the Table, give Spencer a call at 971-200-8353 or email aroundthetable@azurestandard.com
About Azure:
Azure Standard is a family-owned business founded and led by David Stelzer, a multigenerational farmer. It began as a conventional farm that transitioned to all organic practices, hoping to heal chronic health issues in the family. In 1987, the Stelzer family expanded efforts, with a dream of reaching many others with healthy, nourishing food. Since then, we’ve partnered with growers, vendors, and small businesses to distribute and share more of the best natural goodness with others. By 2022, Azure had become America’s premier distributor of healthy foods and products for home, health, and garden.
For decades, we’ve delivered directly to community drop points to help keep food affordable, and we continue to dream in 2025! We’re launching Azure Around the Table to equip churches to be the heart of health in their communities!
