Ideas
Ideas from NOvember, 2014:
In partnership with Korean Glory and UPC's Ministry with Internationals, Wallingford Presbyterian Church built a vegetable garden on the parking strip of their church. During their first growing season, they grew and delivered 130 pounds of vegetables to Familyworks, our local foodbank!
Our hope is to spend our time together feasting with and befriending one another, all the while exploring and dialoguing about God’s mission to “make of life a continual feast” (St. Athanasius). Beyond this we’ll also be experimenting with ways in which we as a community can become God’s hands and feet in our neighborhood through practices of spirituality, hospitality, and service. Read more here...
International Disciples is a new worshipping community for international and American university students, faculty, and staff at the University of Washington. The primary vision behind this community was to create a community that will equip international students to become Christian leaders and church planters in their home countries—and this community will provide the training ground as students learn to reach out to other international and American students while in Seattle.
IDEAS FROM MARCH, 2014:
Have we Presbyterians done all we can to help provide permanent affordable housing for Seattle’s large homeless population? Madrona Grace is building a tiny, 8x20 house on its property to house at least one person. What if we put a “Neighbor In My Backyard” house at every church property in our Presbytery?
All are welcome to join the conversation between Scott Dudley and Matthew Soerens, co-author of “Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate.” Our goals are to gain an understanding of what Scripture says about welcoming the stranger and to submit ourselves under the authority of Scripture and to ask the question: “What does it mean to care for the foreigner among us?” We hope to pray, listen, educate, advocate, serve, and evangelize (“PLEASE”).
Our Hunger Intervention program partners with local PTAs to provide weekend lunches during the school year to kids who live with food insecurity. In the summer, the City of Seattle joined the partnership and we served 4923 lunches to kids in Lake City at four sites, five days a week. We would love to export this model for ministry to other churches/neighborhoods.
A variety of partnerships: • With tw0 churches in South Africa through prayer, finances, wisdom, and fellowship as we visit each other here, in Africa, and through Skype each week. • With Young Life as we serve lunches, nicknamed “Jesus Food” by the high school kids. • With the Poulsbo community to host The Big Band Christmas to raise funds for our local food bank.
A non-denominational church on the north-end has developed an alternative model of worship centered around community dinners. They now have five successful gatherings, but plan on expanding to 27. Since we already have a presence in many of these neighborhoods, why don’t we do this? (www.communitydinners.org)
Bellevue First Pres is hosting the Willow Creek Association’s annual 2 day Global Leadership Summit Aug 14-15. It is inspiring, practical and applicable for leaders in all spheres of life. Early registrants get better pricing and BelPres is offering free/reduced rate registration for various kinds of people (first timers, younger leaders, immigrant pastors & lay leaders, need based scholarships). Call BelPres for more info.
A variety of partnerships: • With two churches in South Africa through prayer, finances, wisdom, and fellowship as we visit each other here, in Africa, and through Skype each week. • With Young Life as we serve lunches, nicknamed “Jesus Food” by the high school kids. • With the Poulsbo community to host The Big Band Christmas to raise funds for our local food bank.