Times are Changing

Don’t be scared. Right now we’re in inner-city Birmingham. By inner-city I mean the apartment complex down the street is known for gangbangers and drug dealers. You don’t live there unless you don’t have other options.

We’re living with a recent seminary graduate who is trying to start a new church. I respect him a lot. He has often wondered why the Church wasn’t doing what Jesus talked about.

This location is different – every location has been. Our work here will be to serve those who are homeless. We’ve been told that amounts to 3-4,000 people in a city of 250,000. The Church of the Reconciler started twelve years ago to be a middle class interracial congregation. It opened its doors to everyone. Homeless folks walked through.

While we’re here we’ll be worshiping, tutoring, feeding folks, and sitting in recovery groups. There might be a prison stop and a night in a shelter along the way. This is radical for two guys from rural Michigan. At the same time it is what we believe Jesus called the Church to. May we all learn to be more radical and faithful.

Amen & Amen, Eric