“Can you hear me now?”
Say hello to our newest member of our sound team! I picked up this small Bluetooth speaker to help us do online intake for housing and rehab on Saturdays. We will be able to be on the phone with case managers and friends while they navigate housing and sobriety on the front steps! Thanks for your giving!
Last Week’s Update…stay connected!
Logistics
Served: 80ish. There was a huge giveaway from Hartford Hospital
Last week's leaders: Bryan with help from Deb, Br Benson, Geoff (with Jen and Emmerson), Liz, Jesus
Next week's leaders: Ruth, Deb,
Next week's preacher: Ruth!
Last week's: Socks
Next week’s: TBD
Miscellaneous
Bryan is starting the new Community Church at Arden Court today
Kenny and Bryan will be teaching and representing at the Vision New England’s Thrive Conference this Saturday at Valley Baptist in Avon
Bryan will be preaching at New Life in Wethersfield on Sunday
Service
Can I give out The Blood today?”
Yes, yes you can...
It’s happened, all we had to do was get out of the way. I remember when Street Church first started before we called this family Street Church. We would send out an email with an air of desperation looking for volunteers to help us “do” all that we had to do.
I had been warned about being ripped off and hustled by homeless from veterans of the field so much so that we prayed with our eyes open so that we wouldn’t get ripped off.
To be sure, there were a few occasions that we were taken advantage of but slowly I simply saw that as part of doing what we were doing and being where we were. I stopped looking for the dark and focused on the light.
We rolled up yesterday and I had a person not from the city who was there to fulfill community service hours for breaking the law and three others who were “not locals”... one family just doesn’t count because they came from that scene and God did a work...
So we asked Hollywood to oversee the coffee table, and Charles to hand out drinks, Jesus (not THE Jesus) who rededicated his life back to THE Jesus last week was asked to help hand out lunches, my little friend wanted to hand out “the Blood” again this week and she was helped out by a local guy...
I never asked anyone to help set up or break down.... they didn’t need to be recruited for the church set up team... our rented van just rolled up with all that we needed for church and they set up and when we were over they put things back in.
During the “church picnic”.... what used to be what some folks call “feeding the least, last and lost” I walked around chewing on some food and chatting with friends... one who has a brain tumor and was really confused and in pain really couldn’t put a sentence together so I asked Geoff and his daughter to sit and pray with him and this did.... silently rubbing his back while sitting with him on a curb...
...and I caught up with a friend who told me he has a new apartment in Bristol because the one they had given him smelled like dead rats and everyone smoked weed... (that’s the kind of apartments they are given so those in charge can say we are decreasing homelessness)... he’s been clean from crack for a couple of months and you can see it... “Bryan, you know what I like the best? I can walk into the store with my grandkid and he say’s “grandpa, can I get this?’ and I can say “yes”! because I didn’t give away my money to the drug dealer at the corner”
...”but don’t worry, I’m gonna figure out how to get back here on Saturdays. This place means a lot to me and helped me out so much”
oh, and Deb learned “Big Mouth’s” name... that’s the moniker the police gave him because he is always yelling... we are keeping that to ourselves because it seems to be a very personal thing to him. When we pulled up he walked over to me and asked if I needed help unloading. A far cry from being told to f*ck off.
I said thanks and noticed as I turned away he had taken a bar of soap out of his backpack and was using the puddle left by the rain to was his hands and face so I dug into the back of the van and pulled out a bottle of water.... “here, you can wash up with this”
I asked a friend who I will keep very vague how they are doing because when they first showed up a few weeks ago they needed information for an immigration lawyer. Papers are filed but they and family are the kind that are getting dragged out of cars by our own governement and sent away....
“Can I ask how you are feeling about your situation and all that is happening in America?”
With the biggest smile they replied “I am not afraid. I have Jesus. He will protect me and I trust him.”
From the Community Churches
We arrived early, but we were alone until folks were brought out from their rooms and that left twenty minutes for the entire service…. but God does not need much time to do what he Wants to do with and in people…
“if anything, we are flexible” Mary said as we were walking out…. we are because He is.
The Street Church Collective Community Churches
Arden Courts Community Church (Farmington)
Brookdale/Chatfield Community Church (West Hartford)
Clairbridge Community Church @ Brookdale/Chatfield (West Hartford)
Farmington Station Community Church (Farmington)
River Ridge Community Church (Avon)
West Hartford Health and Rehab Community Church (West Hartford)
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Help Us Load Up @ 10am 164 South Street in West Hartford
visit our website thestreetchurch.org to learn more
or feel free to contact us at
admin@thestreetchurch.org
Bryan
Street Church Administrator & Volunteer Coordinator
(860) 578-2961 TEXT ONLY
bryan@thestreetchurch.org