Protestantism

» paper_turtle - Walking the Walk

Re the church in Chicago which is taking it to the streets:
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Back in the 60's when I was attending the University of Vermont, the local Unitarian church decided to engage in what they called a holy experiment.
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First they took a close look at Burlington to see where there was a need, then they met to determine how best to address this need with specific ministries.
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They then went to work setting up programs. One was for low-income people. Another was for men returning home after being in prison. The one I knew best was a coffee house which held weekly discussions on issues important to teens and college-age youth.
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The people involved in the various programs met together during the week and on Sundays for worship and fellowship. Once a month a regular church service was held, with a pot luck afterwards so that all the people could share what was happening in their specific program.
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I don't know how long all the programs continued, but the coffee house kept going for about 8 years. People who were involved in the various ministries said that it was a very profound experience for them--they grew spiritually in the process.
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I think ALL churches should be doing things like this.
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peace and love,
Paper Turtle

-- posted by paper_turtle