Most of the churches I’ve been a part of are never too many Sundays away from a potluck. These gatherings are a wonderful way to share food and make friends. Near the end of January we held a potluck for the neighborhood and had thirty people bring and share a dish. We met new neighbors, connected with those we already knew, and shared in a feast to which everyone contributed. Not a bad use of space! But space isn’t always easy to find…
We called several places wondering if we could use their gathering areas, but with no leads. The Washington School Neighbor churches were open to letting us use space (provided it wasn’t already booked for the evening!). This time Hope Church happened to have space. One way the church is living hospitably with our neighborhood is by the use of its space for various neighborhood activities – from potlucks, to volleyball, to daycare, to after-school programs. Our church buildings are an asset to our neighbors, and sharing space is a very basic way we begin to connect.
~Andrew Spidahl & Janelle Lopez-Koolhaas, Neighborhood Connectors