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Feb 02 2020

Paint n’ Peel

There is more to painting than just the finished product. The journey toward the end is what makes the finished product meaningful.

At our parties, you not only get to BE the artist behind your masterpiece, but you also get to explore deeper parts of yourself through guided reflection and activities. Growing as an artist by learning visual art techniques, while also growing personally; a living double entendre.

This Valentine’s Day, learn to love yourself well to exude love well onto others. The Christian involvement during our event will the the theme topic discussion on love. In leading the discussion, insertions on how and who God calls us to love will be discussed, while merging it to creation as He has it.

RSVP

Spend a fun night with

  • Yourself tapping into your creativity
  • Your spouse/partner for Date Night
  • Your friends for a Girls Night Out/ Guys Night Out
  • Your family member (Mommy & Me/ Daddy & Me)
  • Your colleague (post-work festivities)

Written by Andrew Walker · Tagged: boston, Conversations, healing, love, massachusetts, new england, party, talent, umass boston, university, youth

Jan 10 2020

Singles Christian Ministry – Boston Area

Meet Christian Singles from all over the Boston area at 1) in-person dinners or 2) facilitated video calls from the convenience of your home.

“I prefer ‘in-person events”, says Rebekah who founded www.SingleSocials.com in St. Louis in 2014, “but with the 2020 hectic lifestyle of so many in Boston, the parking, and the traffic, I wanted to offer video conferencing introductions as well.”

The ministry www.SingleSocials.com started when Rebekah was working alongside Christian singles at her church and watching them care so well for the body of Christ and hearing them talk about how hard it was to be able to meet and date other Christians. Her passion to help today is the same as it was then but she also has the knowledge she has gained since 2014.

Rebekah is a Boston area mom of three awesome kids and is happily married to her husband of 18 years who shares her passion to help others.

For more information or to sign up, visit www.singlesocials.com  All the best in 2020!

Written by Andrew Walker · Tagged: christians, community, friends, love, south end, university

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


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