GROUNDWORK SUNDAY, MARCH 29

A slight adjustment to our rhythm is coming.  Sunday mornings have long been established as our gathering pattern for worship.  But on Sunday, March 29, we will gather as we normally do, to move BEYOND the BUILDING. We will express our devotion to God and love for neighbor, in very practical ways.  



We are accustomed to raising and clapping hands, to moving feet to music and walking forward for Communion; but on this FIFTH SUNDAY, we will employ our hands and feet to serve people in our neighborhood of gathering, Belltown, hopefully alongside each other. This is not a new time or layer of activity; this utilizes our regular time to do something different whenever there are FIVE SUNDAYS in a month (which happens about four times a year - May and August are the next two months with FIVE SUNDAYS). It's just one method of living out that part of our MISSION that says "we are called together to join with the 'Word made flesh' among the people in our church's neighborhood of gathering"; it's just one way we can function as SPARK PLUGS AND GLUE in our neighborhood, helping neighbors find ways to build a safe, clean, loving environment. We are saying the church should be among those leading the way, breaking ground and finding common ground.  PLEASE JOIN TOGETHER on GROUNDWORK SUNDAY.

FAQ's (Frequently Anticipated Questions):

1. What about the children?!  This is a perfect opportunity to experience church with children of any age, whether they be in your baby backpack or old enough to hold a shovel, garbage bag, or paint brush.  There is no better way to demonstrate and experience service to neighbor than.... serving with neighbors.
2. What about the fact that Emmaus Road is a busy crowd, verging on burnout from life and ministry obligations?  This is not another time commitment; this is an already established time slot used in a different way.  There will be no need for greeters, readers, children's ministry volunteers, not to mention musicians, on this day.  We are simply working BEYOND THE BUILDING for a few hours on a Sunday, when we would have spent a few hours INSIDE a building that same Sunday.
3. How are people going to "meet Jesus" through this activity?  What about our responsibility to preach the Gospel and celebrate the Sacrament on Sunday mornings?  We shall continue to do our best  INSIDE the building, 48 out of 52 Sundays a year.  But for the THOUSANDS of Belltowners who do not even know our church exists, this is a meaningful way to greet them.  For the general population who wonders whether or not Christians, who supposedly care for souls, also care about tangible concerns, this is a way of demonstrating our care.
4. What if nobody in the neighborhood notices?  We are not aiming for anonymity, but cooperative projects with real neighbors outside our congregation.  The relationships will take time to build, but that is the aim of GROUNDWORK SUNDAY; to move BEYOND THE BUILDING, and lay the groundwork for relationships between ourselves, neighbors; to help unite people of the Towers and Streets on common ground.
5. What if I want to help people in my own neighborhood, outside Belltown?  If you discover neighbors you can cooperate with in service, or someone who needs help, and can organize a handful of people, feel free to serve BEYOND THE BUILDING, even beyond Belltown.  It would not be feasible for the organizers of GROUNDWORK SUNDAY to work out logistics across all of Emmaus Road's scattered neighborhoods; we are focusing on Belltown, our "Sunday" neighborhood (and home for some of us).  But if YOU can organize something elsewhere, go for it!
6. What if we fail?  We must be willing to risk failure in order to learn.  If Emmaus Road does not exist BEYOND THE BUILDING (and BEYOND SUNDAY), Emmaus Road does not exist.  If we fail, we pray for lessons and direction to take the right steps.  If we fear failure to the extent we do not even try, we have already failed and have not learned anything in the process.
7. Does this effort spring from one person, a small group, or the larger group?  Is the church behind this?  The answer will come March 29, when the church shows up to participate.  Truth be told, there are many churches devoting FIFTH SUNDAYS to such activity, including First Christian Reformed Church of Seattle.  Emmaus Road discussed this as a large group at the spring retreat, April 2008, in terms of GREEN SPACE, where folks within the church can find common ground with neighbors outside, through community service.  To learn about a growing movement of congregations devoting Sundays to service among neighbors, check out the FAITH IN ACTION site.

SPARK PLUGS AND GLUE: SOME FOLLOW-UP

Back in December of '07, we published a short article about Emmaus Road functioning as SPARK PLUGS AND GLUE in our neighborhood.  Later, at a spring retreat, we considered cultivating GREEN SPACE.  It's time to follow-up! Here are a couple ideas:

THIRD/CEDAR OPEN HOUSE

Could Emmaus Road host an open house for the neighborhood?  Not by ourselves, but in partnernship with New Horizons and Streetbean Espresso, we could spark some awareness and activity in our microhood.  Here is an idea and a rough plan for accomplishing a relatively short-term project:

The Idea: 

Hosting an OPEN HOUSE - Emmaus Road, New Horizons, and Streetbean Espresso - for the neighbors across the street at Mosler Lofts, as well as the Vermont Inn and some of the surrounding buildings.

The OPEN HOUSE event would accomplish several goals at once

• share hospitality with Belltown neighbors
  
• cast ministry vision and expose what we each do for and in our neighborhood
  
• invite neighbors' participation in a variety of ways (future customers at Streebean, volunteers, etc.)

The Plan:

Form a group comprising a project leader, a person from each of the three ministries, to plan the event and lay out the next steps:

• choose a date
  
• publicize
  
• line up music?
  
• etc.
  

GROWING A GIVING GARDEN IN BELLTOWN

In South Lake Union, the Cascade P Patch brings neighbors together around growing vegetables and harvesting them to  combat hunger among the local homeless. Could the same thing happen in Belltown?  This is much more of a long-term project.

The Idea:
Gathering a coalition of "giving gardeners" in Belltown, from among the ministries and neighborhood residents, to grow and harvest vegetables, to be given away to local homeless. Could be a single-site or multi-site operation.  The Giving Garden project could conceivably accomplish several goals:

• feed the hungry
  
• learn from and respond to "slow food" movement
  
• develop community among neighbors from the towers as well as the streets

The Plan:

• Find a project leader/recruiter who can form a Giving Gardeners team
  
• Learn from the Cascade Giving Garden, the Belltown P Patch, or any other local/regional co-op type farms
  
• Identify possible partners among the City agencies, Belltown Business Association, Belltown Community Council, and Belltown Covenant partners