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. We have no choice; we have to be different. After all, 90% of our friends sleep outdoors year around.
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 equallydented (more likely, trashed). 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. Also, you can find us under a bridge on Sundays six months of the year.
How do you act differently?
How many churches do you know of that have gutterpunk wiffleball during a Sunday service? Check us out. See if we are real or fake.
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/check you out?
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 else you have more of. You will find that the previously overlooked and cast out are richer in many ways than you could ever know.
If you live outdoors and/or don’t have a job: just show up. If you live indoors and have a job: contact us first so we can be sure to be on the same page.
We’re under (or near) the downtown side of the Hawthorne Bridge every Sunday (till the end of October)…12:30 is coffee…we eat at 1:00. Starting the first Sunday in November we’ll be inside at SW 13th and SW Clay (St. Stephen’s Episcopal fellowship hall).
What denomination do you belong to?
None, but we have friends in churches all over the world.