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.
On a rainy Spring Forward Sunday morning, having lost an hour of sleep, AND contending with green St. Pat's Day Dashers filling up the street parking, we still had a pretty decent turnout! It shall be remembered as our 1st Annual Lenten Road Crew Lunch. Jeff and Suellen Yerger crafted a delicious array of soups and breads, all prepared at home. We began our meeting officially welcoming Lara Fullner-Grennan and Erin Fullner into the Road Crew. The remainder of the meeting consisted of a 20 minute presentation: Pastor Eric Likkel's "state of the church" address, sharing joys and sorrows, and an invitation to engage in "40 Days of Discernment" together; Mike Elenbaas offered an update on Emmaus Road's finances; charts online. We concluded with a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday and enjoyed FOUR birthday cakes for Cornell (thank you, bakers). There were no votes or decisions called for, but a passionate plea to engage in prayer, consult with one another, interact with the Pastor and Council, and return to share what the Lord places on your heart - May 15. Big decisions will be made together - June 19.
