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[uniteboston]

On Tuesday October 31, we commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. This is a timely opportunity for all Christians to turn towards one another in efforts to help answer Jesus’ prayer in John 17 that we would “be one.”

Christians from all over the world will be gathering in Wittenburg this week to pray for 72 hours for healing and reconciliation in the Christian Church. UB Board Member Dr. Vito Nicastro and Scott Brill from the Institute for Christian Unity will be attending – please keep them in prayer.

Here are 5 key principles from the Wittenburg 2017 :

1.    The irresistible purpose of Jesus is to return to a united Church.

2.    The current reality is that the universal Church universal is divided – in heart, purpose, thinking, and organizational structures.

3.    Division weakens the universal Church.

4.    The universal Church should feel the pain of her divisions and grieve them.

5.    The universal Church should pray for reconciliation and unity.

The overall vision of Wittenburg 2017 is the beauty of a healed, mature, united body of Christ (John 17:20-26). They propose that the primary obstacle is hostility (Eph. 2:14), which divides God’s children and dims the glory of the Church.

There are more great resources from Wittenburg, including historical conclusions from both Catholics and Protestants, prayers for Christian unity, and a free online course on the history and nature of church divisions.

We encourage everyone to check out these events happening in the area.

Reformation-Focused events in Boston / Massachusetts:

Catholic Miracles in the Age of Reformations: a History of the Impossible – Carlos Eire, Ph.D., T.L. Riggs Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University, will discuss the Reformation and its impact 500 years after the publication of Luther’s 95 Theses on Friday, October 27, at 4:30 p.m. at 500 Salisbury St., Worcester.

Reformation Conference: Boston – A panel of guest speakers looking at the history of the Reformation and discussing why the Reformation still matters in 2017 and beyond. 10:00am to 3:00pm on Saturday October 28 in Quincy.

Reformation Commemoration Conference, 25 speakers on Martin Luther’s theology and actions for the life and ministry of the Church today, October 26 to 28, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, Essex MA.

“Now Thank We All Our God: A Celebration of Five Hundred Years of Continuing Reformation” at 3:00pm on Sunday, October 29, in the chapel of the Society of St. Margaret, in Duxbury, MA.

UniteBoston Dinner & Worship Night, community conversation around our shared mission as Christians and intimate time of worship on Sunday October 29 at 6pm in Revere.

Arts in Celebration! The Word in Color, Action, Music, and Form, an international symposium commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation with sessions on art, theology, and ecumenism from October 27-29 in Orleans, MA.

“Luther and the Reformation” Film and Discussion. Join the BU School of Theology for a showing of Rick Steves’ film Luther and the Reformation. A brief discussion follows the film, and a German-themed dinner is provided. Space is limited! UniteBoston has spots for five people to attend – Email kelly@uniteboston.com to RSVP. October 31 from 6 to 8pm at Marsh Chapel in Boston.

“An Evening with Martin Luther and Friends” experimental theater piece in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation from October 31 to November 4 at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Acton, MA.

A Sunday Service in German Celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation on November 5 at 2:00 pm at the Faith Lutheran Church, Cambridge (311 Broadway) followed by coffee at 3:00 pm. Children welcome! Contact Pastor Robin Lutjohann with questions: 617.945.4395.

Ecumenical Worship Service: 500th Anniversary of the Reformation on November 5 at 3:00pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, Fall River, MA.

Holy Spirit Weekend with Evangelical, Anglican, Catholic, and Pentecostal speakers on November 11 from 9:00am to 7:00pm in Lowell.

UniteBoston City-Wide Dinner Party – Christians from all denominational backgrounds are joining together to build relationships and let our relationships inform how we can better love our neighbors. At this gathering, the UniteBoston team will model the neighborhood dinners that we’re launching throughout the city. Wednesday November 15th at 6pm at Lion of Judah Church in Boston.

Learn more:

Faithlife has created a timeline covering over 1,300 years of Christian history. Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on October 31, 1517, giving voice to ideas that had been stirring in Christendom. Join Faithlife for a Protestant, scriptural-based perspective in exploring the technology and history behind this historic event.

John Armstrong from ACT 3 Network writes on “How Shall We Remember the Protestant Reformation this year?” and “What Luther Means and How Can We Move Toward Unity Now?”

Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity’s latest report “From Conflict to Communion” which encourages Catholics, Lutherans, and all Christians to look back on our history, the last 50 years of ecumenical dialogue, and how we can continue the movement towards the unity that Christ wills for His followers.

One perspective: The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Protestant Reformation by Joseph Mattera

Father Thomas Ryan, director of the Paulist North American Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations in Boston writes that the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation is “A Year of Unparalled Opportunity.”

And something fun – “Who Said That?” quiz that tests your understanding of Luther’s utterances.

[uniteboston]

Rev. William Nunez, local Diocesan priest at Diocese of Christ the King and Community Building Coordinator at IBA Boston, was invited to last week’s Boston City Council Meeting to pray in light of the devastation from the recent hurricane in Puerto Rico. Here, he shares opportunities for people to send supplies to Puerto Rico, and offers a benediction, declaring “we will rise.” (See 4:00 to 10:00 for the portion of the video that Pastor William shares)

The Franciscan Benediction & Prayer of St. Francis

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.
May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
And the Blessing of God, who Creates, Redeems and Sanctifies, be upon you and all you love and pray for this day, and forever more. Amen.

[uniteboston]

Steve Daman from the Emmanuel Gospel Center considers how Christians can respond to Boston’s population growth and declining interest in church. He writes: “Imagine a church, or a collaborative of churches, sending certified chaplains into new communities to extend grace and life in nontraditional ways to new, young and/or affluent Bostonians. Could this be a way to implant a compelling Gospel presence among this population?”

Various ministries are highlighted, including Rev. Dr. LeSette Wright’s Peaceseekers, which cultivates partnerships in Boston to prevent violence. She has trained over 100 people in the area to serve as community chaplains.

Read more

[uniteboston]

UniteBoston’s summer intern, Chloe Gaydos, reflects on her time working with UniteBoston and and how this experience impacted her future ministry. She is a Business and Finance Major at Gordon College and is now in her senior year. This summer, her projects included web maintenance, UB’s worship night planning/recruiting and researching the UB Reps program. She seeks to continue worship drumming in Boston and work towards connecting Christians in Boston across denominations.

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[caption id="attachment_11008" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Chloe with new friends from Lion of Judah Church this summer.[/caption]

Early in the first semester of my senior year, I told my mentor that ministry had no place in my career. I was set in my direction and aggressively searched for a summer internship while taking a full course load of economic courses. Two months later, I found myself sitting in a Thai restaurant waiting to meet my new boss and explore options for projects and opportunities within UniteBoston. She gave me an introduction to the non-profit’s origins and mission, and then we defined goals. I was able to quickly see that I had been placed in an internship with full freedom of creativity, which was the greatest opportunity that I could possibly ask for. I was given my choice of projects, so that my voice that would be heard, and then wisdom to guide me along the way. In my opinion, this is the best way to motivate volunteers, workers, and especially students.

I remember asking the director of UniteBoston, Kelly Steinhaus, if she would let me plan a small worship night in Boston. Looking back, I realize now that I had been a bit homesick for my home institution, Gordon College, and their charismatic worship nights where I would drum on a regular basis. I was looking for something familiar because I had just moved to Boston, and I was willing to do anything to play worship music again. Kelly instantly responded with bright ideas and her full support for the worship night.

I originally envisioned one guitarist, a worship leader, and I playing under Boston’s evening lights in front of maybe 20 people, knowing that Boston is known to be a dry area for religion. The worship night far exceeded my expectations, involving sound, logistics, and prayer teams, lights, a full live band, and 400 people worshipping in the same location as the “free speech rally” the week beforehand. I might need a few more blog posts to sufficiently explain the revelations, relationships, struggles, and miracles that happened in the process of planning, recruiting, and executing the worship night. When I had initially contemplated a summer internship, I honestly could not have guessed in a million years that this would’ve been my summer.

Because of my involvement with UB, my summer was filled with 3 am Latino prayer vigils, Saturday morning street ministry, genuine coffee talks, worship team practices, a few radio interviews, UB online maintenance, networking calls, worship night logistics management, and, of course, controversy over division. I could flash back to my economics lectures and easily explain why specialization and separation are both the most cost-effective and sustainable processes of productivity. But now I have experienced the power of Christian unity. I simply fell in love with the luxury of dialogue covering vast subjects and concerns far beyond broad statements or emotions. My internship made me more interested in the roots, the ‘why’ of situations. I became highly motivated to research deeper into the history of Christianity and what the Church, the body of Christ, is called to be.

As I reflect on the summer, I have a new value for connections, which helps me to see my future ministry, travels in Europe, and studies in a new light. I can see that relationships I tend to form too often have task-oriented objectives. Working behind the scenes of UniteBoston, I have seen God using this non-profit to heal the past wounds of Christians. I have seen relationships form based only on a common love of Jesus. I see my own wounds mending most effectively by collaboration with other Christians. That’s why I now break my ministry into two timelines: before UniteBoston, and afterwards.

[caption id="attachment_11009" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The awesome people on the UB worship team that Chloe convened and coordinated this summer. Meet the team here![/caption]

[uniteboston]

This fall, UniteBoston is launching neighborhood dinners!

These dinners are designed to create possibilities of friendships between Christians of different backgrounds and open up conversation about our united mission of revealing Jesus’ love to our neighbors. But, we know that you have a lot going on. So why should you make this a priority?

1. It’s rooted in historic Christian tradition. Jesus asked us to remember Him by celebrating the Lord’s supper, which originally began as a shared meal around a common table. This practice has continued throughout the centuries, where Christians gather to offer thanksgiving to God and share stories of God’s work in our lives.

2. It’s simple. We all have to eat – So why not gather for a meal with great people? We know that it can be hard to travel clear across the city after a long day, so the dinners will take place in your neighborhood to make it easier for all to participate.

3. You can participate as much or as little as you are able. When you sign up, you can indicate if you’d like to cook, coordinate, or simply attend the neighborhood dinners. Whether you’re a pastor or new to the Christian faith, you’re welcome to attend!

4. Shared conversations are often the catalyst for something greater. Our goal with the neighborhood meals is to cultivate relationships, and allow our relationships to inform how we pray for one another, how we serve the city, and how we understand our unique role within the larger body of Christ. As we come together, there is synergy and God begins to reveal things that we can do together, that we could never accomplish working independently.  We envision neighborhood prayer groups, worship nights, and/or collaborative service projects to emerge as we gather together. Dream big with God!

5. We are better together. There are an abundance of churches in Boston, and yet often little to no communication between churches even on the same street. Every part of the body of Christ has something to offer and something to learn from the others. What do you and your church community bring to the larger Christian community?

Join in!

Sign up by visiting this website: http://www.uniteboston.com/dinner

We appreciate your help in getting the word out! Click on the letter below to download and share with colleagues, pastors, and other Christians in the city. Once we have enough interest within one geographic area, we can launch that neighborhood dinner.

UB Neighborhood Dinners Invitation Letter

Together, we are the body of Christ, yet often we focus on what divides us. Come and be enriched by the beautiful diversity of Christians in our city. Might there be more in common than we first think?

 

[uniteboston]

“I had hit rock bottom, but Jesus wasn’t done with me yet.”

Erich Clark, our guest blogger this week, attends First Presbyterian Church in Ipswich and was on the logistics team to help set up the stage for our worship night in August. Erich writes about the significance of the worship night in his own spiritual journey of faith, and the power of God to transform hearts and lives, both personally and corporately.

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I was the Assistant Sound Tech for the UniteBoston Worship Night on the Boston Common. During sound check and rehearsal with the Worship Team, I felt my past and present collide. To understand that, I need to tell you my story.

I’ve set up a lot of stages for a lot of bands.

I get there early, go over the plan, run the cables, note the channel numbers, wait for the musicians to arrive, sound-check, and start the show.

The last time I sound-checked in Boston, my life was collapsing. I worked for a heavy metal band from Rhode Island, and we had finally made it to Massachusetts. It was an important opportunity, but by the time the musicians were plugged in and ready, I was so drunk and stoned that the club’s in-house sound guy had to take over completely.

That was my pattern: set up, sneak off for some drugs, come back and drink until the night became a blur. The band had kept me on until that point only because I promised them that I would stay sober until after each gig. But I was out of control, and that was my last gig with them. At the end of the night, they told me never to contact them again.

I drove home drunk that night to an apartment where I was soon to be evicted. I’d spent all the money I earned (and a large sum I had borrowed) on my chemicals. I was soon to be fired another countless time. Then my car died, abandoned and spewing thick black smoke on the highway during a drug run. It was all over; my life was a write off, the end of the line, my rock bottom.

But Jesus wasn’t done with me yet. I checked into a Christian sober house, Place of Promise, because it was the only one that would take me. That’s where I gave my life to Jesus, for whatever limited use He could get out of me. It was the only thing I had left.

When I graduated from Place of Promise, I found a work-for-rent-position at First Presbyterian Church in Ipswich. They knew about my past, but they accepted me with open arms. They have become my family, supporting me in a myriad of ways as my life has healed.

I started running sound for the church, grateful to use my skills in a positive way. I’ve worked with the Middle School youth group for the last decade and passed on my sound skills to several young people.

One of my trainees was Benjamin Hills, a pastor’s son I’d met when he was 8. He’s a young man now, attending Gordon College, and the Head Sound Technician for the recent UniteBoston worship night on the Boston Common. Ben invited me on as his assistant, and I was intrigued by the prospect.

[caption id="attachment_10965" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Benjamin Hills and Erich Clark working the sound board at the worship night.[/caption]

On August 26th I found myself setting up a stage right in the center of Boston. I was checking connections and helping the UniteBoston worship team to arrange themselves and set levels. I was appreciating the quality band, the professional stage, the beautiful weather, the picturesque Boston Common. As I looked around at those musicians and volunteers and technicians lending their skills to the concert, it struck me:

This is God’s concert.  He’s playing right in the heart of our capital city, shouting out Grace, love, hope, and healing. The God I serve took this useless shell of a man and made him whole, happy, and useful. If He can heal me, I know that He can heal the children of this wounded city.

Let’s turn His mic up.

[uniteboston]

On August 21, 2017, more than 400 people came out to a worship night in Boston Common. This event took place in the Parkman Bandstand, which was the same location as the “free speech” rally one week beforehand. While last week, the bandstand was the center of conflict in Boston, this week it was a call for peace from the God who can bring it.

We don’t believe that the answer will be ultimately found in politics or just in human effort but in the work of God who has the power to change hearts and bring peace to the world.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
-Jesus, in John 14:27

“Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
-Jeremiah 29:7

“UniteBoston made the love of God visible in Boston on August 26th. God’s peace paid us a visit because it is only when we come together to love one another, that God’s peace will show up.”
-Read Rev. David Nunez​’s blog about his experience

“I have never quite seen something like the worship night in Boston in such a public space. The location was perfect for catching passerby’s who would perhaps not normally find themselves at church but enjoyed the music. Also, because the music was specifically Christian, some people came up and asked for prayer or names of churches in the area. This provided a wonderful opportunity for ministry.”

-Jacqueline Turner, Aletheia Church

“I was surprised by the movement of God in my heart that night. I was inspired to commit to deeper prayer about a specific issue that divides churches. I went home hopeful, feeling the weight of what’s to come, and grateful.”
-Jessica Van Nest Mason, Forest Hills Covenant Church

“This event was attractive and attracted all kinds of people. Passersby were stopping to sign up, asking questions. This reaches people who would never otherwise have the idea of Christian unity or even consider a church. And it also literally puts Jesus in the heart of Boston. Right on the Common, the oldest park in America and a training field for the Revolutionary army. As ever, the simple act of all different people coming together to lift up the Name of Jesus is the witness to the world that He is Lord. Our response to hate is the Ancient Love. Our response to being created by God is to love Him and to share that with the city. As the lights came one in the buildings and the moon came up in the dark blue velvet sky, we planted God’s love in the heart of Boston.”
-Dr. Vito Nicastro, Archdiocese of Boston and UB Board Chair

“I found my faith in Christ through a powerful worship experience, so my favorite part was seeing people who wouldn’t normally step inside a church building experience Christian worship and the presence of God. Plus, when people asked which church we were from, we said, “all of them!” I’ve found that the presence of God is magnified as we come together to seek Him.”
-Kelly Steinhaus, UniteBoston Team Leader

“I really appreciated praying and worshipping the Lord in this spot specifically, where only a week before there was darkness at our doorstep.”
-David Yazenko, Park Street Church

“Thank you UniteBoston and others who helped to make this night possible. God did so much in my heart that night. I don’t even know where to begin! I will suffice it to say that I had the God-given pleasures of praying with several different people; the chance to witness one person pray for God’s forgiveness and ask Him to make her more like Him; an opportunity to connect with believers across congregations and the awesome privilege to witness firsthand what it looks like to see the Body of Christ at work and the beautiful things that come out of that unity. After this event God has given me a newfound love and passion for the city of Boston and the people that live here.  I am so excited for what he is doing in the city of Boston. Indeed the harvest is ripe! Let’s each be a part of asking Him to send out more laborers and volunteering to be those laborers!”
-Cleopatra Mohammed, Mars Hill Fellowship Church

“I was on the commons that night and felt the Presence of the God come & rest on us and that whole area of downtown Boston….. Suddenly i noticed all the trees, the grass, the buildings, the street lights, the sky with the moon rising and the people looked so beautiful, and a deep sense of JOY filled my heart….. I believe this was the Lord’s pleasure with our worship and the unity of the Bride.”
-Michele, The Bridge Church

“A wonderful testimony to the power unified public worship to not only refresh, inspire, and empower the Body of Christ, but to also serve as a powerful means of evangelism to those not connected to the faith. The evangelism effect likely would not have occurred if this event was held inside the four walls of a church–very exciting!”
-Rev. Mark Orr, Executive Director of REACH Youth New England

 

Learn More:

Meet the UniteBoston Worship Team

View the Photo Album on Facebook & Tag Friends!

What’s Next: UniteBoston Neighborhood Dinners

 

 

[uniteboston]

This week’s guest blogger is Rev. William David Nunez, a local Diocesan priest at Diocese of Christ the King and Community Building Coordinator at IBA Boston. Rev. Nunez attended our recent worship night on Boston Common, and reflects on his experience below.

You can follow Rev. Nunez’ blog at http://ancientfuturecoalition.blogspot.com

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On August 19, I saw the power that abides in the midst of love and unity as I stood next to other ministers leading a march of over 40,000 people in Boston against hate and racism. Love was overwhelming and tangible everywhere you stood. People along the sidewalks would stop and give us water, ask for prayer, give hugs, wave their hands, send love gestures from their apartment windows.

I must admit, what really shocked me in this march was the reality of hate and racism. To stare in the eyes of hate brings such fear to the soul: fear of what’s to come, fear for our kids and the next generation that will soon be leading us into the future. As we arrived at the park where the free speech rally had just took place, I saw a group of men staring at me with a lot of hate. One of them spit on my shoe while the others mumbled words I couldn’t clearly hear but their face were filled with anger as they looked at me. Even vested in my black cassock and wearing my cross did not prevent the eyes of hate to look at the color of my skin, spitting on my shoes, mumbling words of hate. All I kept asking God as I walked was, is this what my kids are going to have to go through?

I left that march with such a heavy awakening, with my heart whispering every two seconds, “we must do more”. It just isn’t enough to meet on Sundays for a worship experience or have small fellowships in our homes once a week, and it isn’t enough to pretend hate and racism doesn’t exist because we haven’t experienced it personally.

So what do we do next?

That is the question that haunted my heart after that march. I saw this event someone shared on FaceBook titled“Peace for the City” by UniteBoston and decided to support because prayer was definitely something needed after that march.

Needless to say, this event was God’s answer to the question that haunted me. As I stood in the midst of the crowd in the Boston Common, enjoying God’s presence while a band composed of people from different denominations worshipping together in unity and love, I couldn’t help but look around. Everywhere I placed my eyes all I saw was people crying, praising, praying for one another, some standing, others kneeling, but everyone enjoying God’s presence in that park. A wonderful breeze brushed through us and at that very moment I felt peace…

This experience reminded me an ancient traditional Christian greeting, “The Kiss of Peace”. The New Testament refers to it as the holy kiss (en philemati hagio) and the kiss of love (en philemati agapes). It is beyond an act of greeting: St Augustine in one if his sermons calls it “the sign of peace” but also calls it “a powerful sacrament” because the kiss of peace is the visible sign of unity and love of Christ on earth. No matter if you’re rich or poor, a kiss is a universal act of love.

This expression of the Holy Kiss is still a part of worship today in many traditional churches and even in some Protestant churches. It was even believed that saints would share the holy kiss with one another before their martyrdom.

Why is all of this the answer to my question of what to do next? Martin Luther King once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” The early church understood this: that even though our hearts may know we are called to unity and love, this corresponds with an external act will seal our belief.

Unite Boston made the love of God visible in Boston on August 26^th and God’s peace paid us a visit because It is only when we come together to love one another, that God’s peace will show up. Our unity that night was heaven kissing earth and God saying “Peace be with you” and us responding to one another “and also with you.” God kissing us while we responded by kissing creation. This is what a sacrament is all about, making heaven visible to humanity. There are so many things we can do but if we all just start by loving one another, breaking down walls of denominational separation and coming together in unity, God’s shalom (peace) will always be amongst us, in our communities, and in our city. Keep up the good work UniteBoston!

 

 

Prayer for the City of Boston

Look upon us, O Lord,
and let all the darkness of our souls
vanish before the beams of thy brightness.
Fill us with holy love,
and open to us the treasures of thy wisdom.
All our desire is known unto thee,
therefore perfect what thou hast begun,
and what thy Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer.
We seek thy face,
turn thy face unto us and show us thy glory.
Then shall our longing be satisfied,
and our peace shall be perfect.

(Augustine, 354 – 430)

 

[uniteboston]

It’s been incredible to momentum growing for the upcoming UniteBoston worship night. Chloe Gaydos, UniteBoston’s intern this summer, has pulled together an incredibly talented team of individuals. One of the most beautiful aspects is the diversity of people represented in the team.

A few members of the band include:

• An Asian exchange student from Berkeley playing the violin
• A Catholic singer/songwriter
• A Protestant drum teacher from Berklee
• A Nondenominational Gospel Singer
• A Boston-based Rap Artist
• An Indie/Jazz Worship Leader 
• A young man from one of the first Pentecostal churches in Indonesia

In light of the recent events in Charlottesville, this is a crucial time for us to lift up the message of love and peace found in Christ. We have been planning to have our worship night in the Boston Common for months, which turned out to be the same location that Saturday’s “free speech” rally took place. Our leadership team felt like this was a God-ordained opportunity for us to proclaim that Jesus unites, and Jesus is the true source of peace for the city, so we made “peace for the city” the theme of the worship night.

Meet the members of the worship team!

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Name: Korleen Sheridan

Instrument: Guitar & Vocals

Home Church: St Cecilias Parish

“I am so excited to see God working in Boston and seeing so many Christians praising God together. This is so needed in a city where you walk by people every day and you don’t know their faith background.”

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Name: Caleb McCoy  (http://www.welcometotheoak.com/)

Instrument: Vocals

Home Church: Neighborhood Church of Boston

“I am excited to worship with a diverse group of people from  different backgrounds. I think the fact that the worship team is represented by different races, denominations, and styles of worship will make this night extra special.”

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Name: Anita Maldonado 

Instrument: Guitar & Vocals

Home Church: The City

“I’ve been in Massachusetts for 5 years, but it’s been tough for me to integrate into the city. As soon as I heard about UniteBoston’s worship night, I knew this was the event that I’ve been waiting for. It’s  beautiful that we can all worship our Father with no barriers, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

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Name: Ola Olukorede

Instrument: Vocals

Home Church: Dayspring Chapel

“I am excited about experiencing God in a new dimension than before through worshipping with people from around Boston who have the same faith as me. Though sometimes we might feel like we’re alone, this night proves that God’s people are everywhere and God’s praise is real.”

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Name: Ben Hills

Instrument: Sound Team

Home Church: First Presbyterian Church Northshore

“I’m excited to see a worship gathering on a place as public as the Boston Common. I can’t wait to see what God will do with it.”

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Name: Calvin Limuel

Instrument: Keyboard

Home Church: Heart Change Fellowship

“There aren’t many events that bring together Christians very often, especially for public worship, and this is so needed in our city.”

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Name: Tony Lee

Instrument: Vocals

Home Church: Aletheia Church

“My college was immensely supportive of diversity, and I got to witness some amazing things. I saw dance as worship, art as worship, spoken word as worship. Things that I never saw in church were happening on campus, and it was incredible to participate. As various cultures of students came together, I witnessed God’s creativity flowing through them. And let me testify, I felt an immense amount of joy when a congregation jives to a funky beat within the context of a new style of worship. In my life, I experienced this through corporate worship between Korean and American churches. We are made as limitless beings, and I know that unless we go beyond our boundaries, we will miss out on the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in us, the hope of glory. I had heard about UniteBoston and wanted to be a part of it. I love worshipping… Any way that I can spend more of my waking hours worshipping draws me closer to God.”

 

[caption id="attachment_10076" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] UB Worship Team Dinner[/caption]

[uniteboston]

The Find A Way Relay was a journey, on foot and by bicycle, that ten people took from DC to St. Louis, where they participated in the Taize St. Louis Pilgrimage of Trust in May 2017. Together they crossed the countryside, receiving the hospitality of others, seeking to spotlight the injustice of racial violence. Vinny and Beth Mwano put together a video about the journey.

Full Version (13 minutes)

Trailer Version (2 mins) 

UniteBoston’s Executive Director Kelly Steinhaus was one of the key team members for this initiative. Below, she reflects on her own journey of learning about the reality of racial inequity and God’s heart for racial justice.

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My rocking chair creaked as I sat in front of the kindergarten class in one of Boston’s public schools. As the students quieted down, dozens of faces looked up at me, expectant to hear the story of the day. I had chosen a book about a young man who has a dream about playing basketball, and through perseverance he defied the odds to make the team.

After I finished reading, I asked the students to share with me their dreams. One by one, each chimed in: “a teacher, a painter, a doctor.” I looked at each of the black and brown faces sitting in front of me, and encouraged them, “You can be anyone and do anything you set your mind to. It won’t be easy, but if you just persevere, you can accomplish anything in life.”

Those were the words that came out of my mouth, but this time there was a check in my heart. Was it actually true that these students could accomplish anything in life, in light of the obstacles in their path?

The message I shared that day was the narrative that I had been told all my life. My parents had continually encouraged me to dream big, supporting me in my pursuits of getting a 4.0, playing college volleyball, then trying to make the national rowing team. For me, my hard work paid off and my dreams came to fruition. This made it easy for me to believe that success is simply the result of hard work and perseverance.

When the shooting of Michael Brown happened, and Trevon Martin, and Tamir Rice, my first thought was how sad it was that those white policeman were so racist that they resorted to shooting. I had been caught up in the media’s portrayal of these incidents, and it wasn’t until later that I considered the police’s side of the story of when and where they use force. The Dolan Consulting Group found that police don’t disproportionately target African-American men in their use of force and in fact are responding to deadly force assaults, while other research shows that black people are 3x more likely to be killed by police, although they are more likely to be unarmed than white victims. I mention both of these articles to emphasize that this issue is incredibly complex and nuanced. We can easily generalize and stereotype people of certain races and professions based on specific incidents without examining the broader motivations and underlying factors.

The Black Lives Matter movement speaks a lot about implicit bias, which is a term that refers to our attitudes and associations that are often unconscious. When I took Harvard University’s implicit bias test, to my surprise I realized that I unconsciously associate negative concepts with black people. While I’m not clear as to how this implicit bias correlates with my behavior, this reality was striking, especially since I’m used to scoring well on tests!

While there are a multitude of factors contributing to police use of lethal force, I began to discover that beyond the important controversy over the use of force, the evidence showing unequal opportunities for people of color is undeniable:

• I never knew that, at the time my mother was telling me that I could be whoever I wanted to be in life, black students my age were being told how to avoid being shot when stopped on the street. A black colleague of mine told me that “being pulled over is a life and death situation. Not only can I not carry a knife or gun because of the risk of getting shot to death, I cannot be thought to be carrying a knife or gun. My heart rate soars and I have a protocol of how to move and what to say to minimize anything escalating.” This fear is birthed from the reality that 40% of those who are incarcerated are black, even though they make up only 13% of the US population.
• I learned in school that the U.S., although founded to be the land of the free, had slavery at its backbone based on a desire for cheap labor. But what I didn’t know was that the U.S. had also institutionalized laws that allowed people with white skin to gain greater opportunities for financial wealth and home ownership than those with black or brown skin.
• I never knew that white households are worth roughly twenty times as much as black households. While the motive to pass down wealth from generation to generation is natural, it has resulted in an escalating disparity of financial resources and opportunity.
• While I had lived most of my 32 years without thinking about race, I never knew that the majority of black people think about race every day. I didn’t realize that my ability to simply ignore racial prejudice was the result of being in the majority culture and was one of the greatest privileges that the color of my skin could offer me.

Once you see, you can’t not see… and what I began to see was that the deaths of a few black men that spurred on the Black Lives Matter movement was a symptom of racial injustice infecting America. While we will never know exactly what happened in these deaths, the societal injustice and inequity gripping America are clear. The problem was the vastly differentiated educational opportunities for Boston’s youth, it was the correlation I saw between race and income in different neighborhoods, it was the fear that I admittedly felt walking through a predominately black neighborhood, and on and on.

When I realized the extent to the problem, I became paralyzed at the vast inequity and its implications for everything. What could I do? My white skin had brought me so much, a white privilege, which admittedly was a term which I used to refrain from using. But over time, I began to realize that my initial offense at this term was a denial of the discrepancy between the world that I saw and the world as it actually is. My blinders had come off, and I couldn’t go back to the way I operated in the world beforehand.

Yet, this white skin is all I have, and so I said “yes” to my friend and colleague Rev. Rita Powell when she mentioned running from Washington DC to St Louis to the worldwide Taize gathering in May 2017 focused on racial reconciliation. After the shooting of Michael Brown at Ferguson, the Archdiocese of St Louis asked the Taize brothers from France to host a “pilgrimage of trust” due to the escalating racial violence. Rather than flying to the event, Rev. Rita inspired us to pilgrimage, to travel with spiritual and sacrificial intentions. Ten of us ran and biked hundreds of miles throughout the South, offering our bodies as spiritual acts of worship as a sign of solidarity with victims of racial violence (Rom12:1). We prayed in the morning and evening and relied on the hospitality of strangers and churches along the way.

[caption id="attachment_9299" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Taize Song and Prayer at our cabin the first night in Jefferson National Forest[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_9296" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Friends from Christ Church, Lexington KY[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_9298" align="aligncenter" width="576"] Group picture after our last run[/caption]

One night it was mentioned how different our journey would be if we were ten black people taking this pilgrimage together. That statement stuck with me, because it wasn’t right and yet it was true. There is something about truth that inescapably rings in your mind and heart.

Throughout our journey, I began to see a wound of racial inequity that was deeper, wider, and more painful than I ever imagined, like pulling open a band-aid to find that our efforts towards “reconciliation” were only surface-level. I began to discover that racial justice requires more than an intellectual knowing; rather, it is an embodiment, a standing alongside, a listening deeply and committing to put my whole self in. Still, I kept asking, what could I do? My black and brown friends told me that what they needed most was for someone to hear their hurt and pain born out of their experiences to acknowledge the wrongdoing.

One pastor at Ferguson said, “We don’t just need white allies. We need people to put their bodies into the fight.” And so our team ran, for 510 miles, my feet pounding on the pavement, drawing me into solidarity with the young men whose pain was so much greater than mine.

Even after returning home, there is something different about my runs. I run more purposefully: every step as a prayer for change, justice, and hope on behalf of my black and brown brothers and sisters.

A racialized society begins, and ends, with racialized hearts. This is a call to courage: to bravely uncover the ways we are holding bias, consciously and unconsciously, and act for change. It will take all of us committing to do the hard work of challenging our implicit ways of seeing and being, that we might see the way forward, recognizing that the solution for holistic reconciliation can come from Christ alone.

“And God has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20)

I will end by saying that I understand there may be some things in this article that have offended you. I encourage you to do your own research, to hear personal stories of people from various racial backgrounds regarding race and violence, and to draw your own conclusions. I believe we must not shy away from difficult dialogue but rather move toward it; in fact, I’ve found that discussing our differences is the key to healing political and racial division. We must all humbly admit that we see from the glass dimly (1 Cor 13:12); each of us are in desperate need of one another and God’s grace to uncover our underlying stereotypes and preconceived notions. I welcome you as a dialogue partner, and especially if you would send along any resources you’d like to share with me. You can contact me via email at kelly@uniteboston.com.

Next steps:

1. Watch a CNN study  showing how children view racial bias
2. Read an article about Racial Equity in America – How Far Have We Come? 
3. Take the Harvard Implicit Bias test (click on race)
4. Connect with Megan Lietz, Research Associate with the Emmanuel Gospel Center’s Race and Christian Community Initiative

[uniteboston]

This week’s guest blogger is Ellen Bass, Director of the Boston Capacity Institute at the Black Ministerial Alliance. Ellen is a member of River of Life Church and began an initiative last year which encouraged church members to visit other congregations’ worship services on Sunday mornings. Read below to hear church members’ insights and key learnings about the kingdom of God in Boston through worship and fellowship  across historic barriers.

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With about 60 members, River of Life Church in Jamaica Plain, Boston, is the typical size for a small New England church.[1]

You might be surprised to learn that a year ago, its leadership decided to send 10% of its members to visit other churches once a month. The little church wanted to experience worship and fellowship in different contexts from its own dually affiliated denominations of Christian & Missionary Alliance and American Baptist, as well as its own primarily white culture. The church’s leaders and members set out to connect with the rich diversity and unity of the broader Body of Christ in Boston.

A total of 17 different people visited the following churches over the course of the year:

• People’s Baptist Church
• Arabic Evangelical Baptist Church
• Congregacion Leon de Juda
• Bethel AME Church
• First Baptist Church JP
• Boston Chinatown Evangelical Church
• Eternal Covenant
• Roxbury Presbyterian Church
• Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church
• Community of St. Egidio at Mission Church

[caption id="attachment_9260" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] River of Life Church members eating lunch together at a neighborhood cafe[/caption]

After each worship service, a small group from both churches often shared a meal together to get better acquainted. Anyone from our church was invited and encouraged to sign up to visit the churches they wanted to get to know better. Although it took some planning to get us to the right place at the right time, we learned a lot together!=

• We loved the hospitality of People’s Baptist Church; they spend five minutes every Sunday during the worship service with everyone in the congregation vigorously greeting everyone else in the room!
• The Orthodox Church had a beautiful family feel, with lots of people caring for all the children in the middle of the worship service, and plenty of acceptance for children’s noises and behaviors!
• We experienced how a shared culture makes fellowship very deep and close in these churches: Bulgarian Orthodox, Arabic, Black, and Latino. We found Middle-Eastern culture to be especially hospitable.
• Immigrant communities spoke about the challenges of language and culture, especially for their youth. These churches wanted to maintain an authentic culture within families across generations, but clearly the younger generations spoke a different language and had a different culture from the older generations. How do we all reach our youth effectively with the gospel?

Some people reflected on how being a minority was a new experience, and how valuable it would be to worship with co-ethnics if they were in the minority all week long. However, we were surprised by how easily and deeply we bonded with people we were so different from. There was a shared desire to maintain a close connection with many of these churches and continue building friendships.

Our plans for next year are still taking shape, but monthly visits are likely! We hope to focus our visits on other churches in its neighborhood of Jamaica Plain, to connect more deeply with our local churches and support what God is doing in our community.

River of Life Church is now confident that its small size isn’t a hindrance to connecting with the rich cultural and denominational diversity displayed in worship services across Boston on Sunday morning. What does your church want to learn and experience in the broader Body of Christ in Boston?

[1] Median US church size is 75. National Congregations Study, Duke University, 2007, p. 2, http://www.soc.duke.edu/natcong/Docs/NCSII_report_final.pdf

[uniteboston]

Our guest blogger this week is Rev. Davie Hernandez, Senior Pastor of Restoration City Church (Formerly Defenders Boston Church). Rev. Davie has a heart to see the city of Boston and surrounding towns experience true revival and restoration through the redemptive work of Jesus. Rev. Davie shares with us about his plans to share the love of Christ with our city, block by block.

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There are bright summer days: the children are running around on the concrete sidewalks, basketball courts are full, play grounds are packed, folks are sitting on stoops, laughing and enjoying one another, as the sun starts to set…

Not far from this, people struggling with homelessness gather by the highways, many addicted to drugs and feeling hopeless, doing anything to survive another day. Some are asking for money as they watch cars pass by, just waiting for another meal or a hit of drugs to cope with their reality…Sirens go off as another young man is brutally shot. As this blog was written, two young men were shot in our city, one being only 14 years of age.

We see both sides of our city. The irony is that both sides are just as much in need of hope, but in different ways. You see, Christ has has given us salvation, and in Him we have the love and hope we need. He has sent us out to be that hope! While some believe that being sent out means going to a far-off place, but I’m convinced that often it’s to be sent right outside your door. As we work the harvest that is here before us, all the people, regardless of socioeconomic class, will be impacted by this message of hope.

In the summer 2017, we were led to start a campaign entitled “Hope for your Block.” We see that it is our responsibility to reach out to our neighbors and communities block by block, claiming back our city for the Lord. To do this, we take a hand painted block and put a message of love, hope, faith and peace on each one. This block is taken by an individual or a family to any block in the city. They begin to pray for that block and place the message of hope where all could see. In this way, we are seeking to reach the lost the hurting and broken of our city with the Good News of Jesus Christ! So far, we have placed hundreds of blocks across our city.

Scripture tells us in Acts 1:8 that “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Where is your Jerusalem? Your Jerusalem is your block, your Jerusalem is your neighbor, and your Jerusalem is the local corner store, families, children and youth that surround you….

Additionally, in Luke 10:29, the man asks Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus answers by telling the story of the Good Samaritan, inviting the man to compassionately serve and minister to those who are in our midst.

In essence, Jesus is saying, “Your neighbor is the next women selling her body to feed her children, your neighbor is that young man or woman crying out for help by that highway you drive by daily, your neighbor is that mother or father who has lost a child to the violence in our streets, your neighbor is that single mom who needs a roof over her head.”  It is our mission and our responsibility to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, hug the hurting and bring the Good News.

Our prayers are not only for those in our communities that are lost, hurting and broken, but also for the community of faith in our city. In our very own block, there are six different churches that need to come together as the body of Christ. This is seen across our city with blocks filled with communities of believers who largely function in isolation of one another. As we place the blocks with the words “Faith, Hope and Love,” I am reminded from scripture that love is the greatest of these. To love our neighbors, to love our brethren in the Lord and to love our city!

Romans 10:15 says, “And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Oh how beautiful it is that you and I were made for such a time as this, that you and I met the God who saved us through Christ, who anointed us and sent us out to share the gospel of hope, the gospel of healing, the gospel of restoration and transformation! Oh how beautiful it is to know that we have been called to this work. Your salvation is not for you, your privilege is not for you, and your gifts and skills are not for you alone. They are all meant to be for God’s glory! Be encouraged today and don’t let your neighbor pass you by.

 

[uniteboston]

Lena Denis is our guest blogger this week. She is a local librarian and information professional. Lena inspired young people at her parish to come out to BostonServe with us on May 6th. Read the story below to hear more about Lena’s heart for Christian unity!

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When people ask me why I care so much about Christian unity, I often give a personal answer: because over the course of my faith journey, I’ve been in and out of many different kinds of churches. I’m Catholic, but I have ties to Evangelical ministries and I’ve been affiliated with mainline Protestant churches. For as long as I can remember, there hasn’t been only one Christian tradition for me to get to Jesus; it was always a multitude of Christian voices united in my life. For example, I could tap into the ancient traditions of Cappadocian church fathers’ meditation, similar to what we now consider Eastern meditative practices. I could also go to the contemporary worship service down the street and tap into praise music with beats that sounded like they came straight out of the club. Either way, Jesus was present, because according to His words in Matthew 18:20, Jesus is wherever two or more gather in His name. The adventure of finding Christ again and again, sometimes in a completely unfamiliar place, is the joy of the Christian life for me. Unity through diversity is key to my understanding of who I am as a Christian, and how I live the Gospel.

That’s the personal answer to why I care about Christian unity, but there’s a much shorter cut-and-dry answer: because the Bible says to. Scripture says that unity in diversity is what God’s people should aim for because it glorifies God and we accomplish more than when we work independently.

Take, for example, BostonServe on May 6, where churches came together to serve the city. Previous blog posts about that wonderful day show how our Boston-area churches, through their many spiritual gifts, had the opportunity to help a variety of populations ranging from refugees to the unhoused. Attention to all of God’s creation also meant that we cleaned streets and planted gardens. I handed out hot lunches to our brothers and sisters who spent their days on the street, and that alone required a variety of gifts: attention to detail in supply-gathering, packing lunch bags full of essentials like clean socks as well as food, cooking a meal for a large number of people, striking up a conversation and showing a stranger that you care, and the ability to listen deeply when someone wants to tell you their story.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="328"] St. Cecilia and Old South Church preparing lunches for our friends on the street for BostonServe[/caption]

Paul knew that this diverse functioning is us at our best. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 12 that, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work…Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” We are good at so many different things, both individually and corporately. We’re not supposed to be robots who all do the same task at the same time, because that would be sad and boring and not particularly effective, and it would erase all the beautiful diversity that God made us to be. If we take our diverse gifts and put them together, we are limitless in how we serve the world, which glorifies God.

Participating in BostonServe inspired me to help coordinate a “Reformation 500 Theology on Tapas” event at my church, St. Cecilia Parish. I invited Vito Nicastro (Catholic) and Scott Brill (Lutheran) from the Institute for Christian Unity to speak about their faith experiences and how are honoring ecumenical work and unity in this 500th year since Luther’s Reformation began. I was hopeful that the event would be fun and well-attended, and I couldn’t believe my eyes as the parish hall filled and filled and filled, until we ran out of chairs and had to start bringing them in from neighboring classrooms! People ate and had a great evening of thoughtful questions and some good laughs with our brilliant speakers. This was a tangible demonstration of our unity through diversity.

[caption id="attachment_9048" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] “Theology on Tapas” Gathering at St Cecilia Parish, June 2017[/caption]

Long before the institutional church was born, King David knew that this kind of unity is what God desires. In the short and sweet Psalm 133, he sang,

How good and pleasant it is
    when God’s people live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head,
    running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
    down on the collar of his robe.
It is as if the dew of Hermon
    were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
    even life forevermore.

These days, most of us wouldn’t be too happy with people pouring oil on our clothes, but when we remember the context of priestly consecration in the books of Exodus and Leviticus, it makes sense that this would be a happy image for David. When Aaron and his sons were consecrated with oil and the blood of sacrifice, service to God through these priests could begin.

Though the traditions have changed, our message is the same. When we all band together from our many traditions with our many strengths to live in unity, we are consecrated, and our service is holy. And for me, I can’t think of anything better to strive for.

[uniteboston]

[caption id="attachment_9015" align="aligncenter" width="401"] Map showing plans for potentially expanded neighborhoods, from Imagine Boston Expanding Opportunity, City of Boston, Draft November 2016, p. 25[/caption]

June 23, 2017

By: Chloe Gaydos | Unite Boston Intern

I’m convinced that being aware of the changing demographics in the Boston area better positions Christians to be able to more effectively share how the gospel is good news to a particular place and a particular people.

I recently moved into Boston, and I’ve learned that this can be more difficult than it appears. I’ve started to work in new offices, drum for new worship bands, live in a new neighborhood, and introduce myself at events as a new member to the Boston Christian Community. This experience is both exhilarating and draining at the same time, as the people, places, schedule, and even food are all slightly unfamiliar to me. However, I am learning to embrace a new mindset: the excitement inherent in experiencing the new. I don’t want to be comfortable anymore; I want variety, and meaningful variety which I have most recently discovered also means ministry. Understanding how to navigate an environment which is unfamiliar, unique, and changing fuels my adventure in Boston because the simplicity of awareness has enabled me to have a more fulfilled experience.

I would like to encourage you to do the same whether you have lived in Boston your entire life or are new to the city. Be aware of your surroundings, the people and place around you, and bless it by means of taking your ministry potential to the next level. Adventure, hidden value, and meaningful connections are at your disposal in exchange for your application of humble and wise vulnerability.

Take a look at these eight neighborhoods of current or imminent growth, based on public and private development plans. Given the general population trends, these are priority areas for outreach and new churches.

The data and text below was originally published by the Emmanuel Gospel Center about where to plant churches in Boston, written by Rudy Mitchell and Steve Daman. 

 

Eight Actively Growing Residential Development Areas Across Boston:

1. Seaport District by the Waterfront. 

While there are many new high-rise housing and office buildings being built here, there are very few churches in the area.

2. South End.

The northeastern and eastern parts of the South End from the Ink Block to the Boston Medical Center between Albany and Washington Streets will soon have hundreds of new apartments and condos which are being planned and built. Will the South End Christian Community be ready?

3. South Boston from Andrew Square to the Broadway MBTA stations.

Although still in the future, “Plan: South Boston Dorchester Avenue” calls for 6,000 to 8,000 new housing units. DJ Properties is also building Washington Square, a mixed use development near Andrew Station with 656 residential units. The nearby Widett Circle and New Market/South Bay areas are also potential major development sites proposed by the City of Boston. Currently there are already many new housing units and new residents around Broadway and in South Boston generally. Nine-building Washington Square Development with 656 residential units approved and to be completed in the next four years. The neighborhood’s limited number of churches poses the opportunity for Christians to gather to serve the area in the name of sharing God’s love.

4. Charlestown – Sullivan Square.

The Sullivan Square area is one of the six main areas the City of Boston has proposed for major housing expansion. Meanwhile, the 1,100 units of the Bunker Hill Housing Development will be totally redeveloped into 3,200 units of mixed housing. Charlestown has very few churches.

5. Allston Brighton – Beacon Yards.

This is one of the six major areas proposed by the City for development into new expanded neighborhoods. The Boston Landing Campus of New Balance is an area with new residential units and Stop & Shop will be building 1,000 new housing units. Other major housing developments are in the works as well.

6. Roxbury – from Dudley Square area to Ruggles MBTA station.

Coming up in the next several years is the recently approved $500M Tremont Crossing development with over 700 apartments. The nearby Whittier St. Housing Project received funding for a full redevelopment into an expanded mixed income development. Other significant residential developments are also in the works, and Northeastern University is expanding in the area with high-rise dorms.

 

7. Jamaica Plain – Forest Hills Station.

This area is booming with several large new housing developments in various stages of planning and completion. Also, the nearby Washington Street corridor recently completed a new (and controversial) plan which includes potential new residential development in addition to what is already being built in the area. Although there are some thriving churches in this area, because there will be so many new residents there is room for more churches not only here, but throughout Jamaica Plain.

8. Suffolk Downs.

In the future, this former racetrack will likely become a whole new community. This massive 161-acre site is one of the six major areas proposed by the city for expansion and was recently purchased by a developer, HYM Investments. This could become one of the largest developments in the whole region.

The Emmanuel Gospel Center describes that “Neighborhood change is ongoing. Boston’s new neighborhood development will not happen all at once. Some areas have residential developments in process or already completed, like the Seaport District, the South End, Jamaica Plain, and to some extent Allston-Brighton. Other areas, like South Boston and Charlestown, already have many new young professionals and some new housing, but much more will be built in the next five years. Other areas, specifically Suffolk Downs and the Beacon Yards part of Allston, will most likely take more than five more years to develop.”

There’s a line that should be drawn between being practical and actively engaged early in the game, but the first step is of course to be aware of your environment to better understand how to more effectively interact with your surroundings.

Being new to Boston, I can most definitely testify that Boston does have everything that it needs to be a city after God’s heart. It comes down to the people and how much they are willing to place themselves in the position to be aware and act in boldness, service, fellowship, and faith.

 

[uniteboston]

Our friends at the Emmanuel Gospel Center recently released a blog entitled “Christianity in Boston 2030” that we’re reposting here! UniteBoston is all about Christians coming together to dream big with God about our city, so the Boston 2030 initiative is definitely something that we encourage Christians to get involved with.

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by Rudy Mitchell and Steve Daman

The City of Boston has released “Imagine Boston 2030,” a comprehensive vision to prepare for an expected population surge by the city’s 400th anniversary in 2030. Can the church articulate a similar vision for what the Kingdom of God could look like in Boston 13 years from now?

Rev. Ralph Kee, veteran church planter and animator of the Greater Boston Church Planting Collaborative at EGC, thinks Boston needs dreamers. “God has a big dream,” he says, “and people have dreams. When people start to share their dreams, that builds enthusiasm.”

THE TASK AHEAD

Imagine Boston 2030 has articulated goals in the social, economic, cultural, and physical realms. Through the Prophet Jeremiah, God instructed exiled Israelites to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Urban Christians can seek the prosperity of our city and the success of these goals, finding ways to join in.

At the same time, we have the privilege and mandate to discern together goals and desires God has for our city.

Population growth alone should get our attention. With significant growth in Boston’s population recently and projected into the future, Boston’s churches will need to consider how to expand their outreach and service, as well as replication into new congregations.

Between 2010 and 2030, Boston could add from 84,000 to more than 190,000 new residents. Reaching and serving that many new people would require growing our present churches and planting new ones.

DREAM INNOVATION  

What church solutions would best fit the city in the coming decades? More meeting spaces would be a must—though many new churches may never own a building.

New churches could take a variety of forms, including small groups, house churches, and cafe churches. Larger traditional churches could meet in a variety of traditional and nontraditional spaces and contexts.

A collaborative of churches could own or rent some multi-use space in Boston’s new neighborhoods. Some developers may already be creating community meeting spaces in new neighborhoods that could be rented by local church groups.

Can we start to envision the possible? What would it take to make the dreams happen?

“Should we convene Christians to talk about Boston 2030,” Ralph Kee asks, “including bankers, architects, real estate agents, construction executives? Can these leaders get together? The city is going to grow. Even what was Suffolk Downs is going to be a mini city. How are we going to get churches there?”

TAKE ACTION

What is your vision for Christianity in Boston in 2030? Would you weigh in by filling out a brief survey? EGC would love to hear from you!

 Share your thoughts or connect with their staff

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