Baby and Kids Goods Exchange

I love the Free Baby/Kids Goods Exchange, one of our compassion teams. We opened the doors to our space at Broad and Dauphin this weekend, and welcomed our neighbors to share and receive clothes, toys, and books for babies and kids. It was a joy to see so many participants and volunteers. We felt God's presence there!

-Steve Hess

Leadership Training: Getting Unstuck

On Saturday, Joshua Grace offered some wisdom to cell leaders (and anyone else interested in being trained!) on how to move through the "sticky places" in spiritual development and leadership. His goal was to convey that we get "unstuck" by participating in the work of the Gospel and by proclaiming the Word of God. He cited an example of Moses's persistent frustration with the wayward Israelites in the Genesis story and Moses's constant choice to either trust and obey God or be led by his limitations and frustrations.

Joshua guided us to consider different ways we perceive leadership when it is going well and when it is difficult. He reminded us of Jesus' instructions to his disciples to proclaim the good news of Him throughout every town, and he pointed out the difference between following Jesus and simply expecting Jesus to help us do "whatever." Joshua also explained the various ways by which we can proclaim that Gospel around us and how that loosens us up, gets us unstuck, to lead more effectively. He ended the training by suggesting simple practices for getting unstuck in our thinking and leading, as well as further reading for effective leadership.

Reporting: Luke Bartolomeo & Rachel Sensenig

Baby (& Kid) Goods Exchange

On Saturday, Sept. 21st, Circle of Hope FN congregation hosted it’s 3rd FREE Baby (& Kid) Goods eXchange of the year. What a beautiful day! Families swapped baby and kids clothes, items, toys and maternity clothes with each other. There were 160 neighbors and friends that came out to this glorious event; some new faces and familiar faces a like! Lots of redistribution going on and friendly connections!

Each month a Circle of Hope congregation hosts a FREE Baby (& Kid) Goods eXchange. Visit our Circle of Hope events calendar for the next one and/or ‘Like’ our Facebook page and invite friends.

Concert to Stop Fracking

DJ Robinson set up a benefit show at Circle of Hope Frankford & Norris for a forming grassroots group the Shalefield Organizing Committee (SOC), with the mission to "work to protect human and ecological rights for those living in the shalefield." DJ brought together musicians from the neighborhood who are all share similar passions about ecology and the dangers of fracking. Matt Sowell brought his rendition of American Primitivism and ragtime guitar, Dance Nook came off of a hiatus to bring soft and joyful folky prophecy, and Birds of Maya closed the night with heavy psychedelic rock. 

Over 80 people attended, including a bunch of families with kids, to raise $776 for the Sullivan County-Wide Listening Project where SOC will be "focusing on listening and relationship building, the project will help SOC learn how we can best support strategic, grassroots-led, movement building for human rights." We're happy to make more opportunities for people to learn about the dangers of fracking and to make partners with groups working on the ground in the currently most affected areas.

Reporting: Joshua Grace

Al Tizon On Evangelism

This past Saturday, Al Tizon, professor at Palmer Theological Seminar and co-President for Evangelicals for Social Action, talked to us about the "dreaded E word"—evangelism, and ways we can approach evangelism that are more relational and genuine in nature, as opposed to the manipulative and coercive methods that many people have experienced and practice. He talked of five "life-postures" for a mode of evangelism that reflect incarnational mission. That is: to be yourself, to be sensitive, to be ready, to be active, to be good. Tizon also directed us to get into groups and tell our story to someone else as a way of practice. Along with these life-postures and practice, he also emphasized weaving our personal narrative into the much larger narrative of God's people, following from the good creation being turned away from God and its course into the Jesus redemption project up to now.

Listen to the talk here.

A sea of yellow at City Hall

Today, dozens of members of the Campaign to Take Back Vacant Land went to City Hall to offer out "muted" support for Maria Quinones-Sanchez' land bank bill. The bill seeks to put the 40,000 vacant lots in the City into a land bank bill so that neighborhoods can use them for gardening, green space, good businesses, and affordable housing. In part, due to our support, we got a guarantee for a hearing (more details about when soon)! Circle of Hope is a member, through our Take Back Vacant Land compassion team, of the coalition. Rachel Sensenig, Ben White, Jonny Rashid, and Steven Hess were attended.

AM PM

Kids, families, and friends met this past Sunday at Di Silvestro Playground at 15th and Morris for the AM PM, a special public meeting geared toward children and families. The topic was about making peace, which was conveyed through several animated stories in two different languages. The group played soccer with an over-sized ball and the game "What Time is Mr. Fox?" Cookies and juice boxes were also provided. It proved to be a joyful time to hang out with neighbors and see the presence of Jesus out and about in the neighborhood.