Retreat to the Woods

This past weekend, over sixty men gathered at Kenbrook Bible Camp for rest and bonding that also involved listening to several talks based on Richard Rohr's book, Adam's Return. Along with various provocative speakers from Circle of Hope, were also small group discussions and spiritual listening pairs. The topics ranged from not being in control of our lives to the inevitability of death and how this affects one's life now and how they act. There was also emphasis on Jesus' calling to be on a journey with him, one that teaches and molds men into something that transcends common stereotypes and cultural expectations. The retreat also served as a form of initiation, something that Rohr in his book states is strongly lacking in Western culture, an induction into solidifying one's identity in Jesus and relying on his wisdom throughout one's life.

Free Baby & Kids Goods Exchange

This past Saturday was the Free Baby & Kids Goods Exchange at our Broad & Dauphin congregation. Moms, dads, grandparents, and caregivers all came out and swapped clothing, toys, and other necessities for their smaller loved ones. The previous night was a smooth set-up thanks to the help of several Circle of Hope volunteers. Some of the clothing also came from Circle Thrift which provided an extra boost in the number of items people could choose from.

Interested in the Free Baby & Kids Goods Exchange? Go here!

Creating a Missional Culture

On Saturday, numerous Circle of Hope attenders came together at our Marlton & Crescent congregation to discuss the art of creating a missional culture. Several people got up to speak and helped the group to develop a variety of ideas on the state of present culture and ways in which it spreads and operates. As a primary contributor, Nate Hulfish shared the key components of what creates a culture, from things such as language and narrative to rituals and institutions, and led the attenders in studying these components in smaller, deeper discussions. The training helped to formulate ways of bringing new dynamics to cells, as well as freshening Circle of Hope's perspective of culture and how to be an influential voice within it.  

Fun with Redistribution

One of our Compassion Teams, the Free Baby (and kids) Goods eXchange or "BGX" Team held another profound time for redistribution last Saturday at Frankford & Norris.  Each month at one of our sites we begin with a base of Circle Thrift-donated items for youngsters.  Team members set the space with snacks and organize according to age and size.  Well over 100 people came through this time to bring stuff, take stuff, and make some friends.

Different kinds of people come together on these occasions and this time we had regular Circle Thrift customers, recent political refugees, people getting out of homelessness, Spanish-only speakers, people who showed up just to drive people home, expecting moms in crisis, neighbors, people looking for cute things for their infants, moms, dads, caregivers, and dozens of folks referred by our allied agencies.  To witness or be part of these events is joyful and rewarding.  We are grateful for all the donations - if you want to keep making these possible, you can make a donation to either Circle Thrift location.

A Night of Art

On Saturday night, Broad and Washington hosted Brutus, Be The Death Of Me: A Night of Unorthodox Art, Music, and Dance, an art show for experimental, unorthodox, and alternative visual artists to display their work. In addition to the visuals, two bands played (The Big Ship and Carl Sagan and the War Over Humanity), and several displays of performance art were held. The show had over 100 people stop by to look, listen, watch and engage in Circle of Hope's passion for and support of the arts.





Reporting and Photo: Ben Rosenbach