Do Groundworks Sundays matter? I believe they do, for at least three reasons.
At our congregational meeting last September, I asked members around the room to share what most excites them about Emmaus Road's ministries. The standout topic was Groundworks Sundays. For a lot of us, the opportunity to connect with neighbors and agencies in Belltown, our neighborhood of gathering, has been a new and meaningful experience. In talking with church members and agency personnel from the neighborhood, three themes have emerged:
1. We have much experience speaking the truth of God's love and grace made known to us in Christ; most people around us, church-going or not, have also experienced the hearing of these words. What's different on Groundworks Sundays, is the opportunity to go beyond words, with hands and feet, to actions of love and grace. None of us, nor the people around us, church-going or not, have experienced enough words backed by actions. It feels good to connect with neighbors through actions of the Gospel, in addition to words.
2. Small actions make a big difference. After a Groundworks Sunday last June, some of our neighbors communicated to one of our liaisons. Through tears, one woman expressed deep gratitude for being able to return home from the hospital to a clean apartment. Amidst all her health challenges and bad news, this act of kindness from strangers in her neighborhood gave her hope and strength. Another person expressed how great it was to know people had cared to offer help. He shared how people in his building were generally uncaring; discovering that there are others out there who do care meant the world to him.
3. On Groundworks Sundays, we get to know each other. We do this on typical Sundays, too, but there is neither time nor space to have the kind of conversations that seem to pop up when we are working side by side.
