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May 02 2018

Elevation Conference

The 2018 Elevation Conference presented by the HTC Youth and Young Adult Ministry is coming!! Featuring Woody Vereen, Eshon Burgundy, John Matthew Borders IV, Royce Lovett, Brinson Wright, Beleaf Melanin, and many more.

Theme: The Good Life
The Christian life has always been falsely perceived as a one that will be free from trial and tribulation. The Bible does not promise this however it does prepare us and equip us to deal with those challenges we will face. This conference endeavors to prepare young and old to deal with those challenges. At the same time we will discover what the Bible does tell us about living “The Good Life” before the unsaved so that our works will glorify God when he comes.
Key Scriptures: 1 Peter 2:12, Matt 5:16

Full Registration for the Conference is only $59.99! Includes Worship Service, Concert, all workshops, entrance into The Plug, Conf Tshirt and food! Early Bird Registration is only $49.99 for a limited time.

Dates: May 25th – May 27th 2018
Friday 5/25 : Elevation Worship Service 7:00pm
Saturday 5/26 : Elevation Workshop Series & Block Party
Sunday 5/28 Workshops, The Plug & Finale Concert

Introducing the Plug! The Plug is a live A&R series where artists can play their music live for a panel of industry and Radio personalities for an opportunity to get feedback on your music or potentially get your song placed on radio!
**Limited space available**

Sponsored by Reflection Music Group and Rapzilla.com

Written by Andrew Walker · Tagged: boston, cambridge, christian, christiansinboston, community, concert, godinthecity, music, urban ministry, worship and prayer

Mar 28 2018

Aardvark Jazz Orchestra to premiere the latest work by Mark Harvey, Faces of Souls

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra continues its historic 45th season on Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 8:00 pm, with a show on MIT’s main stage, Kresge Auditorium, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139. The orchestra will perform the premiere of director Mark Harvey’s latest work, Faces of Souls, together with other Mark Harvey originals.  Presented by MIT Music & Theater Arts.  Free and open to the public.  Information: 617-452-3205 or 617-776-8778.

Mark Harvey is a composer, educator, bandleader and retired Methodist minister.  Many of his compositions explore themes of peace and social justice in American history and contemporary culture.   The program on April 7 will center around these themes, His piece Faces of Souls is inspired by the Charles Ives composition Boston Common and the Augustus Saint-Gaudens statue commemorating Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, heroes of the Civil War.  The April 7 show will feature other works by Mark Harvey, including The Journey (honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. and the struggle for civil rights), and Blue Butterfly, a blues evoking the late Brother Blue (aka Hugh Morgan Hill), a legendary storyteller famous in Boston and beyond, and a longtime friend of Aardvark.  The evening finale will be Harvey’s piece No Walls, Aardvark’s anthem of hope and inclusivity.

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra has been praised as “stunningly beautiful and adventurous” (New York City Jazz Record),”captivating” (Jazz Improv), “spellbinding” (The Boston Globe), and “beyond category” (Downbeat).  JazzTimes wrote, “Aardvark suggests the best and the brashest of Charles Mingus, Gil Evans, George Russell, and even Frank Zappa.”

Founded in 1973, Aardvark has been a force in the international jazz scene for more than 45 years. The orchestra has premiered more than 175 works and appears on 14 CDs, including 8 on the Leo Records label.  Guest artists have included jazz luminaries Jaki Byard, Sheila Jordan, Jimmy Giuffre, Geri Allen, Lewis Porter, Dominique Eade, Walter Thompson, and Matt Savage.

Founder and music director Mark Harvey has performed at the Knitting Factory, the Village Gate, the National Gallery of Art (DC), Fenway Park, Boston’s Symphony Hall, the Berlin Jazz Festival (Germany), and the Baja State Theater (Mexico), to name a few.  He has recorded with George Russell and Baird Hersey, and performed with Gil Evans, Howard McGhee, Sam Rivers, and others.  Dr. Harvey teaches jazz studies at MIT.

Aardvark is: Allan Chase, Phil Scarff, Chris Rakowski, Dan Zupan/saxes and woodwinds; K.C. Dunbar, Jeanne Snodgrass/trumpets; Bob Pilkington, Jay Keyser/trombones; Jeff Marsanskis, Bill Lowe/bass trombones, tuba; Richard Nelson/guitar; John Funkhouser/string bass; Harry Wellott/drums; Jerry Edwards and Grace Hughes, vocalists; Mark Harvey/trumpet, music director.  Aardvark veterans Arni Cheatham and Peter H. Bloom will miss the April 7 show, but will be back on the bandstand soon.

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra is managed by Americas Musicworks, Rebecca DeLamotte, director, telephone 617 776 8778, email:  delamotte-amw@comcast.net

Written by Andrew Walker · Tagged: cambridge, community, concert, hope, massachusetts, MIT, music

Jun 17 2014

Harvard Square: There’s No Place Like Home

For the past five months, the UniteBoston Reps have been engaging in various activities to listen and learn from their communities. These next four weeks, each rep will be writing a brief blog to share their findings with the Greater Boston Christian community.

We dream of having every community in Boston connected with a UB Rep! UB Rep Cohorts begin in October and extend to May. If you’re interested in being a UB Rep in your community, email Kelly Steinhaus, kelly@uniteboston.com

——-

Harvard Square: There’s No Place Like Home

by Kelly Steinhaus

Cambridge has been my home community for almost six years now, and I’m coming to understand that in many ways, the Cambridge community is like a brick. 29% of Cambridge is enrolled in college (1), whose campuses are characterized by red brick buildings. In Cambridge, a person’s tends to be defined by the letters after their name, and, like a brick I’ve found many people in Cambridge to have a hard outer shell. Yet, I’ve also found that, once people trust you, people in Cambridge will open up and become some of the most loyal friends you could ever hope to have.

For many, a brick is also symbolic of “home,” which many people in Cambridge do not have. On one night in 2013, it was determined that 537 persons in Cambridge were homeless (2). Anyone who walks around Harvard Square will notice friends young and old who are living on the street. In fact, Tom Magliozzi said that “Harvard Square is the bum capital of the world.” (3)

Over the past few months as a UB Rep, I’ve become stirred by this issue and am seeking the answer to one question – What would it look like for the churches to come together to serve people who are experiencing homelessness?

As I began researching, I realized that what we don’t need is another soup kitchen. Lunch is served every day in three locations in Cambridge, with 12 dinner meals throughout the week – and this is only the beginning of the abundance of resources available. So what should be done?

I interviewed three people with this question, and found one common thread: What people experiencing homelessness need most is a friend. Tim & Alice Colegrove serve as friends and advocates of homeless youth in Harvard Square, emphasized that “We need a shift in our attitude from charity to mutuality. The church doesn’t need to provide services, they need to build relationships.” Similarly, Alex Grant from Hope Fellowship Church said that while we can’t eliminate homelessness, we can have a change of heart where we look at those we pass during the week and desire to help them.

I also had the opportunity to interview Stephanie Akert, Cambridge’s Director of the Multi-Service Center for the Homeless. From her perspective, one of the biggest needs is to help people transition to permanent housing. We brainstormed ideas as to how churches could alleviate the loneliness that plagues many formerly homeless people who become housed. Churches could be matched with individuals and families who become housed to provide welcome baskets and walk alongside them as friends in their new community. However, the logistics of this effort would be quite difficult due to restrictions in confidentiality and the dispersal of home placements far from Cambridge.

A few friends and I did an interesting experiment a few months ago – we stood in the middle of Harvard Square with signs that read, “Free Hugs.” While many were skeptical and walked by, a few brave souls came to give us a hug. They left grinning and laughing, bringing smiles to others passing by. This momentary embrace of perfect strangers celebrated our common desire for community. (Click on the image below to watch)

The UB Reps program has helped me to see Cambridge holistically. I’m coming to understand that more than a physical home, people need a spiritual place they can call home; a community where they are loved and appreciated for who they are, not just what they do. My church (Journey Church) is officially launching to the city in September with a campaign called “Helping Others Find Their Way Home.”

You see, a brick is only significant because of what it is a part of – a larger wall, placed in alignment with many other bricks. Truly, in Cambridge, there’s no place like home.

Written by jasonjclement · Categorized: Blog · Tagged: cambridge, christian unity, christian witness, community, harvard square, home, homelessness, jesus, university

Apr 01 2014

Mennonite Church Plant in Boston

By Vicki Sairs
Originally Published on Mennonite World Review, reprinted with permission

Every day, we hear about more and more churches that are being planted in Boston, and Tim and Alice Colegrove are a big part of that. They are planting a church in Jamaica Plain within the Conservative Mennonite Conference and we are excited to share their story today. If you would be interested in getting involved in the church the Colegrove’s are planting, please contact them at timothy.colegrove@gmail.com

Above, Tim and Alice Colegrove with their sons River and Elias

Together, Alice and Tim bring a powerful combination of gifting and experience to the task of church planting. For the last four years, they’ve worked with homeless youth and young adults in Boston through InnerCHANGE, a Christian order among the poor. They’ve acted as advocates and friends for young people on the streets, trying to provide “a healthy community where healing and hope can be found.”

Now they sense a call to step back from their street ministry and focus on building a church in their neighborhood, which they describe as “incredibly diverse” and which they enjoy tremendously.

Here’s how they describe that call: “Our vision is to plant a multi-ethnic evangelical Anabaptist church in the city of Boston committed to discipling new believers, breaking down socio-economic barriers, and gathering an eclectic community around Jesus’ table.”

It will, they say, take “outside-the-box thinking,” but their goal is “to build a church where people from all walks of life can come and experience new life in Christ.”

They see a “great need for church growth and Gospel witness” in Boston and believe that the CMC’s “historic emphasis on peace and simplicity” uniquely position them “to offer a fresh angle on Christian faith… . Boston is rich soil for Kingdom movements towards racial reconciliation, peacemaking, and economic justice.”

“Part of our vision for a church will springboard from the ministry we’ve had with homeless youth and folks on the street. We would love to be able to have a church where they are welcome…where church and non-church people, poor and rich, intellectuals and non-intellectuals come around the table.”


Alice brings over a decade of experience in working on issues of homelessness and public policy to this topic of empowerment. She has worked with young people on the streets, service providers, churches, and academics; at the policy level, she’s worked at the state level in Massachusetts and with the governments of Romania and Peru.
“All those voices need to be heard,” she explained, “to create a bigger picture.” Navigating those worlds takes skill. “God has blessed me with the ability to speak the languages of those various worlds. I have navigated that in the secular world and I can bring that to the church, meeting folks from a variety of backgrounds across the table.”

Tim added, “Secular people are working on this. The church should be even more capable of doing that… .It’s a challenge to the church that secular groups are able to come together. We’d like to see a congregation that meets that challenge.”

Alice said, “At the policy level, it’s not only a good idea [that the poor are included in discussions] … the poor are required to be there. Is that the same in the church?”

Their focus will be on proclaiming the Gospel and making disciples in Jamaica Plain.

Tim explained that there already are “homeless churches and outdoor churches. The drawback is they don’t bring any relational wealth or social capital to the people on the street… It’s hard to overcome the barriers of addiction, poverty, lack of education, unless you have people who can support you in that. We want to build a church that can do that.”

Alice used the parable of the good Samaritan: “Part of our job is being the Samaritan, sitting with the bro- ken, tending to their wounds. But we still need an inn to take them to. An inn is not just filled with the broken, it’s filled with all sorts of people. We want our friends to come from the streets and find healing, and we want folks who are stable to be with them.”



Written by jasonjclement · Categorized: Blog · Tagged: boston, cambridge, church planting, innerchange, jesus, mennonite, poverty, samaritan, testimony

Feb 26 2014

Introducing…the 2014 UniteBoston Reps!

Today, we’re excited to announce the 2014 UniteBoston Reps – Coming to a neighborhood near you!

 How has God been working in UniteBoston?

Great question! Watch this PrayTV Interview with Kelly Steinhaus, UniteBoston Team Leader to learn more.

What are UniteBoston Reps?

UniteBoston Reps facilitate connection between church and community. Through interviews and church visits, UniteBoston reps establish a presence in the community, conveying the attitude that “we care about what God is doing in your midst and are here to serve you.” UniteBoston Reps are also intentional about researching history and demographics to form a comprehensive understanding of the community. By becoming a learner of neighborhoods, UniteBoston reps find out where God is working and how churches/ministries can collaborate together to further that work.

What do UniteBoston Reps do?

Each month has a particular focus around studying the community, such as observation, research, or interviews. UB Reps meet together monthly to share celebrations and challenges of what they see happening in their communities, as well as get trained for the following month. The UB Reps are a tight-knit community of people who prayerfully seek God’s work in Boston together and how churches are a part of the fabric of the city at large.

Why is this initiative important?

While the UniteBoston newsletter and website are helping to spread awareness of what God is doing throughout the city, we realized that it lacked one key component: relationships. Relationships are the heart of unity. Only relationships can instill understanding and help to remove barriers between churches of diverse cultures, denominations, ages and socioeconomic status. UniteBoston Reps devote their time and energy to building relational connections within one specific neighborhood, which makes uniting the city of Boston more manageable.

What are you hoping to accomplish with UB Reps?

Success as a UniteBoston Rep is to connect two independent churches or individuals for a larger purpose. Like a jigsaw puzzle, each piece only makes sense when it is in relationship with the other pieces. A greater sense of awareness will draw on the collective wisdom of the entire body of Christ. This will also improve each church’s aim to make strategic investments with ministry resources, so we fight the right battles and reduce duplication of efforts.

As relationships and trust are fostered, UniteBoston Reps will help to guide the missional activities of the Church within a specific community. This information will be made public to better aid in our efforts to pray for Boston and strategically mobilize the Christian community to meet the needs of the city.

Who are the 2014 UB Reps?

UB Rep: Coolidge Corner – Lex Carroll

UB Rep: UMass Boston – Amanda Green

UB Rep: Jamaica Plain – Bond Hsu

UB Rep: South End – Ralph Kee

UB Rep: Mattapan – Deneen Levy

UB Rep: Fenway – Betsy Slate

UB Rep: Harvard Square – Kelly Steinhaus

UB Rep: Back Bay – Andrew Walker

UniteBoston Reps Informational meeting, January 2014 UniteBoston Reps Informational meeting, January 2014

The current communities that are covered by the 2014 UB Reps - Could your neighborhood be next? The current communities that are covered by the 2014 UB Reps – Could your neighborhood be next?

How can I get involved?

Email Kelly Steinhaus, UniteBoston Team Leader at kelly@uniteboston.com to learn more!

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (Ephesians 4:16)

If you want to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go far, go together – African Proverb

Long interview with Pray TV:
)

Written by jasonjclement · Categorized: Blog · Tagged: boston, cambridge, christian, christian unity, community, community exegesis, jesus, presence, synergy, uniteboston, unity

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