You say that technically you’re a church; what’s that all about?
If you have any experience with the church world; we’re not much like that. We think, look and act differently; we’ve come up with different answers than the traditional church and probably have more questions than answers.
How do you think differently?
We believe that people deserve to be loved simply because they exist. We believe in full equality for women; people of all religions (or no religion); people of all races, nationalities, backgrounds, sexual preference, economic and social classes.
Where does that come from?
Besides the US Constitution? God created all human beings in his image so we all have that beauty, creativity and potential. We live in a fallen world so we’re all pretty well equally fucked up (that’s from the first book of the bible). So…equal equals equality. There is no “us” and “them”; only us.
How else do you think differently?
Future. Your past is of no consequence to us except we are sad for your pain and for the unfairness that has happened to you. We do not attack you for what you are now involved in (we are not the bible police). We care passionately about who you could be and will fight for your future, including if you desire no change at all.
Are you a Christian church?
Many (maybe most) of the people in our startup group are followers of Jesus so technically we are a Christian church. Your religious affiliation does not matter when we are looking for better ways of doing what we do.
How do you look different than most churches?
We are a hodge-podge of squatters, travelers, hipsters, middle class, gutter punks; not one cookie cutter person in the bunch. Old, young, living indoors or out, with jobs or not, educated or just life educated.
How do you act differently?
Try us and see if we are real or just bullshitters.
Why did you originally meet under a bridge?
We couldn’t find a building. It kind of makes perverse sense that a (technical) church that’s mostly for our friends without houses would be homeless. Doesn’t it?
How do I join?
We have no membership; just friends who want to be part of the community. You, too? If you have been blessed and privileged enough to live indoors and have a job and want to be with us, here’s what it will be your blessing and privilege to do: give a one year commitment; give 10% of your income; and give 4-6 hours a week to help create and maintain a community that will never be about you; but will always be about someone else who has less than you. Less love, housing, money, clothing, family, support, employment or whatever. You will find that the previously overlooked and cast out are richer in many ways than you could ever know.
What denomination do you belong to? (A denomination is a group of churches that band together mostly on the basis of shared tradition or mental agreement to certain interpretations of the bible.)
None. We have friends all around the world, though.