A recently married Catholic couple, Bailey and Jacob Sparks were committed to starting a family.
Both enjoyed fulfilling careers, Jacob as a commercial real estate advisor and analyst and Bailey as a conference manager for the Napa Institute, a Catholic nonprofit that unites and empowers business leaders through the pillars of formation, community and liturgy. The couple was praying for an opportunity that would allow Bailey to transition to motherhood while still working in a career centered on faith.
PORCELAIN DINNERWARE INSCRIBED WITH BIBLE VERSES ARE DISPLAYED AS PART OF THE FEED ON THE WORD COLLECTION, A COMPANY OWNED BY JACOB AND BAILEY SPARKS PHOTO BY LOU PONSI/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
“We were praying about it, and we were talking back and forth about what would that look like,” Jacob said.
Their prayers were answered in what they describe as a “Holy Spirit moment.”
The Sparkses, who are parishioners at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in San Clemente, were presented with the opportunity to purchase Feed on the Word, an online enterprise that sells porcelain dinnerware inscribed with Bible passages.
BAILEY AND JACOB SPARKS, SEEN WITH THEIR SON BLAISE, ARE THE OWNERS OF FEED ON THE WORD, PROVIDERS OF PORCELAIN DINNERWARE INSCRIBED WITH SCRIPTURE VERSES. PHOTO COURTESY OF FEED ON THE WORD
Each plate, platter and mug are imprinted with a Scripture verse, along with its citation (book chapter: verse) in the Bible.
A verse around the circumference of one plate reads: “Husbands and wives yield in love, one to another, in reverence to Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21)
A serving platter reads: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
The couple was already familiar with Feed on the Word, having purchased dinnerware they used for special occasions. Bailey also recalled her own childhood when mealtime was a sacred family gathering.
PORCELAIN DINNERWARE INSCRIBED WITH BIBLE VERSES ARE DISPLAYED AS PART OF THE FEED ON THE WORD COLLECTION, A COMPANY OWNED BY JACOB AND BAILEY SPARKS. PHOTO BY LOU PONSI/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
“My family always went around the table and we said what we were thankful for that day,” Bailey said.
Feed on the Word’s founder and then owner, Patti Robertson, had sent a group email to inform customers that she was selling the business and prospective buyers should contact her. Jacob and Bailey were both raised in families rooted in faith.
Bailey grew up in San Clemente, attended Mass at Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistrano and graduated from JSerra Catholic High School. She attended the University of Louisville in Jacob’s home state of Kentucky. The couple met during Bailey’s freshman year and got engaged after graduation.
In what Bailey describes as a leap of faith, they decided to relocate to back to Orange County and were married at Mission Basilica in December 2018.
The couple negotiated a price to buy Feed on the Word, and on Jan.1, 2022, the Sparkses became the official owners.
“As devout Christians, they are honored by the opportunity to bring families and friends closer to Christ through the management of Feed on the Word,” said Robertson, when announcing the sale on the company’s Facebook page.
Within a week after acquiring the company, the Sparkses discovered Bailey was pregnant.
The couple welcomed their son Blaise into the world in September 2022.
“Through Feed on the Word, we felt that the Holy Spirit was giving me a new opportunity to continue the work of the Kingdom, all while having the ability to be present with our future children,” Bailey said. “Our mission is to bring the Word of the Lord to tables and gatherings with your families and loved ones.”
While Feed on the Word dinnerware is sold almost exclusively online, the Sparkses have grown the company’s online presence and are working to expand their product line with new Bible verses.
“We have the original scripture verses as of now, but we’re working specifically on more Catholic pieces,” Bailey said.
Those include a Marian line of dinnerware inscribed with Scripture related to the Rosary and dinnerware inscribed with verses related to Christmas and Easter.
The Sparkses also sell the dinnerware at conferences and conventions with a strong Christian presence.
Most recently, Feed on the Word dinnerware was displayed at the 2024 Legatus Summit at the Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point. The summit draws noted Catholic business leaders from around the country.
As with any new endeavor, the couple has encountered obstacles and there’s definitely been a learning curve, Bailey said. But they always fall back on faith, she said.
“We feel like we were really called to this mission and called to take over this business and evangelize in this way,” she said. That has been very comforting and very helpful when we hit those rough
patches to just go back to prayer and ask the Lord how we should move forward.”
For more information on Feed on the Word, go to feedontheword.com