Loving Life in The Spirit

 

 

Have you met Chris and her three-legged wonder dog yet? She has a gifting of prayer and hugs and a smile that makes you want to become friends and send a Christmas Card and her dog has three little legs and a heart the size of Texas

    

Last Week’s Update…stay connected!

Hey Family!

Amazing as always when hungry people gather to worship Jesus!

Logistics

Served: 100

Last week's leaders: Ruth, Bryan

Next week's leaders: Bryan

Next week's preacher: Saint Patrick!

Gifts

Last week's: Merch, wool socks

Next week's: nada

Service--

Fantastic Weather! Ruth has become a New Englander as she did not wear a coat and was going on about how warm it was... and it was only 50 degrees!!!

Ruth, her dad, and a mom with her son "Mighty Joe" joined us. Joe moved from shy/distracted/ uncomfortable to fully engaged and a total joy.  It was a reminder of the power of love and acceptance in this family. Love has transformational power.

Ruth's dad was with us too and it's cracks me up to see them working together. Ruth shared a bit of the depth of trust she has in her dad during her message. I will never be able to grasp what this family did by sending Ruth away from home, family, and country at such a vulnerable age to have a life in America… just as God has asked of Abram.

We loaded quickly thanks to Joe,  I swung around back to pick up wool socks and we still all arrived early. We were met by a huge group of 20 students from CrU, a Christian Ministry doing fantastic work on college campuses. Derrick, a student who is a regular with us on weekends had shared about Street Church at their weekly meeting about what is happening and there was a huge response. Please continue to pray for this bunch UCONN students. They are charging after God together and the love is spilling out all over the place.

One of the recently baptized (like, last week) folks returned last week and shared that God is giving them apartments and work!

Our friend Randell showed up again as promised when I saw him mid-week. I offered him a jacket to replace the one he lost in jail and he very politely declined it saying he did not like it. So glad he was able to choose and say no. This is a community where people are being transformed. My youngest daughter has not seen him since his transformation and she was speechless. “He was so nice and polite!”

Christine the “hugger" and her three-legged wonder dog made the rounds spreading the love. I noticed a number of the UCONN students holding him as they miss their dogs... what better mascot for Street Church than a beautiful dog with three legs! As out closing circle, Greg, aka “Brother Bensen” reminded these students how much encouragement they are giving by showing up; “when I was homeless and an addict I had no one come to help me and talk to me! You guys show up and love and it changes hearts and people and me!”

Ruth gave a powerful message on dedication and action to God based on loving trust of the Father, sharing from Scripture and her own account of leaving family and home and country at such a young age and setting out for a foreign land. It was anointed and moved us all. I gave a call after her and  two came forward to recommit lives to Jesus and wanting to walk in obedience.  We all gathered around them and prayed deep prayers and I and others were given prophetic words to pray over them. Our King is so kind to the brokenhearted!

Friends who we (I) was worried about for weeks were back.  One asked for prayer for because their  heart that hasbeen filled with a deep, palpable sorrow and sadness that they had never felt that before. I was deeply taken back as every time I ask how they a huge smile grows and they respond “I am good! I trust God and He has always been faithful!” They exude  trust and confidence. I called Ruth over to pray over them as she has walked in the same valley. Here is a place where fears and pain can be voiced and you are not condemned as being unfaithful.

The prayer time before communion was SOOOOO engaged! I am sure it helped having 20 college students bold in their faith milling about with us but it was a sight to behold. Everywhere you looked there were people conversing with the Living God. There is a movement happening in our midst and it is personable and real.

Lunch and giveaways went well and with so many the huge lunch line that moved along without any upheaval. Random folks dropped off donations of a big sack of candy, pastries from Panera, and a platter of wraps from the UCONN School of social work that is behind us. As always the lunch line grows during the service, but as long as they are quiet and respectful it is ok. Many came to Jesus because they were hungry too…

Come and see… the woman who came up to rededicate her life for Jesus was a first time visitor brought over from the library from a guy named Tony whom Lisa and I "graduated" high school with FORTY-TWO YEARS AGO. “Come and see” he told her

One of the regular ladies who is homeless and blind (can you imagine?)  shared that her friend who was was baptized two weeks ago will be away for awhile. She made the choice to go to rehab. To God be the glory.Look at God.

Be amazed family, be amazed and stay amazed in awe and wonder, not at me or any of us, or what we do or how God has formed us to do it, but at Him who is loving us so well, and his power and majesty.

Love you all to the moon and past it!

Bryan

        From the Community Churches

“Since we are living by the Spirit,

let us follow the Spirit’s leading

in every part of our lives.”

                               Galatians 5:25 NLT

I never thought I would be singing Bob Marley and the Wailers song, “Three Little Birds” with a blind Jewish lady in a memory care facility some day, but there I was doing just that.

Our services in memory facilities are a bit hard to describe. They are a combination of stand up comedy, tent-revival-preaching, liturgical/sacramental worship, charismatic experiences, Gospel sing-alongside, and ad-hoc pivots to whatever might happen or be said that day…. and just joy. Lot’s and lot’s of joy covered in a homie gravy of love.

Several staff come for communion and prayer because they work weekends and some just to see what the commotion is about. Visiting family members sit wide-eyed at the sight of it al...It doesn’t matter. It is for freedom Christ has set me free and I am simply trying to free others…

as a matter of fact there was a new resident who told me a number of times that he was a prisoner and had lost the team he came from…. this is after I looked over and he was giving me the bird, so I just told him it was ok, he was safe with us there. I don’t get it, but God promised to be with us always and that means always, even when our faculties fail us. It is about His promise to us, not our ability to do anything for him or ourselves.

I am not sure what happened but I was given some words to share and my friend Jen who helps me and I both shook and were covered with goosebumps when the words left my lips. There was a noticeable tremble through the residents too. We both tried to remember what was said in the parking lot before we left but could not for the life of us figure it out and that was ok… it was a word for them from Him.

God loves to give his children gifts, all of his children.  

Keep praying these folks up.

blessings,,

bryan

The Street Church Collective communities

Arden Court Community Church (Farmington)

Brookdale Chatfield Community Church (West Hartford)

Harbour Community Church (West Hartford)

Farmington Station Community Church-memory care Farmington)

Farmington Station Community Church-independent living  (Farmington)

River Ridge Community Church (Avon)

The Street Church (Hartford)

West Hartford Health and Rehab Community Church (West Hartford)

GIVE HERE TO SUPPORT US FINANCIALLY

SIGN UP HERE TO HELP SERVE.

SIGN UP HERE, TO PROVIDE FOOD DONATIONS  

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

God Still Moves

When I pray, coincidences happen;

when I stop praying,

the coincidences stop happening”

                                               William Temple

I have been intentionally praying for this man, Randal Torres, for a few months and since Ash Wednesday last week I have been more focused on my prayers. Yesterday as I left the gym he was sitting outside on the bench waiting for the bus after shopping at Burlington Coat Factory. A bit over a month ago he was on the street in ripped and filthy clothes and by God’s grace he ended up in jail and got back on track.  We had a great talk, a man who a short time ago would only open his mouth to yell and curse. 

I asked him today if I could pray for him… “yeah, let me through this sh*t out” and he tossed his cigarette way as an act of reverence to God…. 

“How can I pray for you?”…..

“Guidance. I want God to give me guidance”

Last Week’s Update…stay connected!

Hey Family,

A beautiful day spiritually and weatherly!

The day got off to a blazing start with two ladies from GHCBC (Greater Hartford Chinese Baptist Church) helped me load up the van in twenty minutes and then prayed deep, rich prayers for the service and me and the message that were deeply answered. As I was checking in to get the van, Will asked if I had help loading up and if not asked if he could help me. The service last week really touched him.

I rolled up downtown to Charlie (whom we haven't seen in a while), Edward, Brother  Bensen, Robert, and Veronica from River of Life Church soon to be joined  by Nick and Jennifer Yang (and her dad and aunt!), several first time helpers from River of Life Church who will be with us monthly, a couple of guys from CrU (Josh and Derrick and the whole CrU-crew will be with us next Saturday).

Bensen opened us up in prayer as Evelyn, Derrick, and Brendan gave great readings. The crowd gathered slowly and steadily and ended up a good size. There were a number of new faces and some who have not been around in a long time... like Ahmend and his wife. They had not been there for seven years they told me, and she is now wheel chair bound with COPD.

Set up was really quick even though I forgot the speaker poles and the altar table! I put the table on the cart with the chairs so that it would not happen again, and the speakers worked fine on the table we used.

Carmen was with us along with Chino who stayed for the whole service. Maria showed up at the end, "red hawk" was back too. No Randall though.

I shared about Ash Wednesday and Biblical Repentance and Jesus's temptation after his baptism and how God does internal changes in our lives, not simply behavior management. I gave the call for faith and baptism and Suzane was all in (as always) and we waited until a new young man named Matthew came up to receive Jesus and be baptized. We prayed up a storm over him and Nick and Jen spent a good amount of time with him discussing next steps.

We split into prayer groups that lasted a good while and the lunch line grew and we just ignored it. Brendan grabbed the communion to help out which was really nice. The line coming up was long and again many came who have not walked up before. You could feel the Spirit today in power. It was stunning.

Jen's dad served lunch along with others and the Jacob's were there with soup. The hygiene table was well staffed and the folks from River of Life church handed out their hats and knit gloves. They had brought several coats as well but asked if we would rather bring them back and hand them out next week which we did. They also had a dozen backpacks with great stuff which we will keep and hand out to the desperate and unhoused....

and then there was James...

James came by today for the first time asking if we served lunch and when. I told him we serve around 12:30 and he was welcome to stay or simply come back then, no pressure. He said he would come back but ended up staying.

As we were loading up at the end, he walked up to me and asked if he could help us pack up. He jumped right in. When we were finished I asked him where he was staying and when he mentioned a warming shelter I asked a few more questions and learned he relapsed and has been homeless for six days. I mentioned my sobriety and he became very focused listening to my story and then he became very vulnerble;

"I was sitting over there just listening to the music and I don't know why but I just started to cry. I can't cry here so I had to do something so I jumped up to help. I don't know what came over me. I couldn't control it."

So I gently shared that he was brushed by the Holy Spirit of God, and that it was beautiful and he was. His eyes were chestnut brown like Hannah's, it was a deeply holy moment. I told him there was no pressure but an invitation from God is something you want to accept. He asked for my number which I freely gave him. He even asked if he could join our closing circle and when Nick shared about his conversation with Micheal who was baptized, James was eating every word.

(pray that James comes back this week)

and then Gloria drove by in her bus for a second time blasting the horn and shouting out the window.

This place.

These people.

Our God...

I would not want any other life.

love you all,

b

From the Community Churches

“Remember that you are dust,

and to dust you shall return”

I was asked last week if I would be willing to hold an Ash Wednesday Service at Arden Court where we have gathered a community church.

The entire facility is dedicated to those affected by memory loss and imparment and they are all at varying stages….

When we sing, everyone is attentive as music is processed by a part of the brain that is not effected by memory loss… it is remarkable… but we see the Word of God and the sacraments Jesus asked us to continue reach the Deep Place. It is a very Holy Thing.

and so Mary and I shared the readings for the day that spoke about rending hearts and not garments and I gave an enthusiastic message of Jesus’s bearing of all the things that we need to repent of and then walked around looking into eyes and asking if they wished to recieve ashes… and heads nodded and leaned forward if they could not speak, some looked me right in the eyes, others brushed aside bangs….

These people and this palace have been used by God to humble me. I want to die like them.

…He was a good man,

full of the Holy Spirit and faith…

                                 Acts 11:24

The Street Church Collective communities

Arden Court Community Church (Farmington)

Brookdale Chatfield Community Church (West Hartford)

Harbour Community Church (West Hartford)

Farmington Station Community Church-memory care Farmington)

Farmington Station Community Church-independent living  (Farmington)

River Ridge Community Church (Avon)

The Street Church (Hartford)

West Hartford Health and Rehab Community Church (West Hartford)

GIVE HERE TO SUPPORT US FINANCIALLY

SIGN UP HERE TO HELP SERVE.

SIGN UP HERE, TO PROVIDE FOOD DONATIONS  

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

More Baptisms!

Dear People of God:

The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided  a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy
Baptism.

It was also a time when those who, because of  notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful  were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith.

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.

And, to make a right beginning  of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now
kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer….”

                                                               From the Book of Common Prayer 

Last Week’s Update…stay connected!

Logistics

  • Served: 100

  • Last week's leaders: Geoff,Bryan

  • Next week's leaders: Brian Rooney from Valley Brook

  • Next week's preacher: Bryan

Gifts

  • Last week's: underwear

Looking Ahead

Miscellaneous

  • This weekend may be a bit wet!

Service (From Bryan):

The Holy Spirit fell… I stopped the truck and walking past at just that moment was our friend, Randal. I was so stoked to see him and he shared he was down for a 41 day bid but was looking good…. During lunch I asked if we could pray for him and he said please, and two of us laid hands on and prayed over the man who a few months ago was bound by demons.

Pastor Brian from Valley Brook served up a powerful message on love that came from a place of lived-grace that was undeniably authentic. This led to a prayer time that saw demons fleeing out of a friend surrounded by the loving witness of Jesus….

A first-time friend who has only been homeless for a week walked up and asked me to pray for him… “For what?” “Everything” … “i need to get right with God” And so she was baptized today, with a splash of water because she is staying in a warming shelter and does not have a lot of clothes…

Two churches brought sandwiches (Valley Brook and New Life) because God wanted an overflow of food and Joy brought Valetine’s Day bags and some stuffies for girls and faces lit up from the love….

Nobody wanted to leave.

Perhaps my money quote of the day came from Christine…. “Sorry if I smell like weed, I was just hugging my friend over there and I didn’t see he was smoking a joint”

This place is beautiful.

Love to all,

b

From the Community Churches

“God damnit! You have big boots”!

I started a new ministry and got fired from it after we were finished. I was asked to lead a “hymn sing” for the independent living communites  at one of the facilites where I currently serve a separate memory care unit. I started off asking what church background folks had, if any, and the lady up front in a thick accent told me “Orthodox! From Turkey!”….

The singing  was powerful, and as I got near the end one person asked if I was going to give a homily (sermon). The director and I shared this was a hymn sing, but if they desired I could start a church there for them. We discussed the outline of faith I follow with the Street Church Collective and they all agreed and said yes, please, bring us a church. So i was “fired” as the song leader and “hired” as the new pastor all in the same day and no, my singing wasn’t that bad. Now, back to “god damnit, you have big boots!”

As I was shaking hands with my new friends and saying goodbye, my Orthodox friend kissed my hand (cultural for a priest) and pulled me down next to her….

“I have to tell you true story from my village.

Once a man came down from the mountain in shabby clothes and came to church. He was from the mountains and never heard of Jesus and knew nothing. All the people greeted him with “god damnit, you have big boots” so he thought this was a kind of blessing or prayer.

When time came he followed the line up for communion and said humbly to the priest “god damnit, you have big boots” not knowing he been mocked by everyone. The priest told him he can stay in the mountains because he had Jesus in his heart”

She was excited to tell me about Turkey, and Antioch and how ancient their churches were before they were destroyed by Muslims and how they were called garbage.

As I was leaving, a VNA came by to get my new friend. She had been waiting until we were finished….

Hey, say a prayer for me too she shouted across the room…

Sure, for what?

Everything. i got a lot going on.

Come on over here I said to her and asked her name and what was going on and she shared and then my new Orthodox friend and I held her hands and we prayed over her together.

That was the fastest I have ever seen a baby church  engage in healing and spreading the Gospel.

The Street Church Collective

Arden Court Community Church (Farmington)

Brookdale Chatfield Community Church (West Hartford)

Harbour Community Church (West Hartford)

Farmington Station Community Church-memory care Farmington)

Farmington Station Community Church-independent living  (Farmington)

River Ridge Community Church (Avon)

The Street Church (Hartford)

West Hartford Health and Rehab Community Church (West Hartford)

GIVE HERE TO SUPPORT US FINANCIALLY

SIGN UP HERE TO HELP SERVE.

SIGN UP HERE, TO PROVIDE FOOD DONATIONS  

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

They Show Up In the Cold

A Reminder about Cold Weather Protocol

Again this Weekend.

We will gather downtown unless we experience extreme weather with temperatures below 0 (zero) degrees and severe snow. If it is below 15 degrees we will operate a modified service as outlined below

  1. We will offer hot drinks and a snack (granola bar etc)

  2. We will offer bagged lunches

  3. We will distribute service readings and communion

  4. We will offer hot soup

We will not encourage folks to linger too long and will plan on staying one hour.

Last Week’s Update…stay connected!

Hey Fam,

It was cold but actually not that cold on Saturday. The sun was out and the wind was low. We did an abridged service yet stayed all 2 hours. Notes below.

Logistics

  • Served: ~60

  • Last week's leaders: Kenny

  • Next week's leaders: Kenny

  • Next week's preacher: Kenny

Gifts

  • Last week's: Blankets

  • Next week's: Hats

Looking Ahead

  • sign up for food here

Miscellaneous

  • Kathy dropped off a bunch of winter hats.

Service

It was a great day to be with God's people as always. Bryan and I loaded up the van pretty quickly. We had our cold weather protocols in place so we took about 1/2 of the items we normally take. While Bryan was waiting to pick up the van, there was a young woman in line at U-Haul who was renting a truck to move out of her house as she is going through a divorce. She was having a tough time so Bryan grabbed some tissues and prayed with her and her dad.
Also, Will, the manager of U-Haul, said he wants to join us on Feb 14 and donate the use of the van.  Wow - what a gift. God is active in all places, we just have to remember to keep looking for him and having the courage to step into those moments.

Bryan had the rest of the day off as he's taken a lot of Saturdays recently for Street Church. I headed downtown on my own (but not really, as I had God in the passenger seat and He gave me the confidence everyone I needed would meet me at City Hall). Sure enough, as I pulled up, we had Benson, Malaree, Jordan Terry (a UConn alum who used to come with Cru, and now has been coming almost every week for the past few months on his own), Liz, Kathy, Brittany and her mom (Lynn), and our sweet Puerto Rican grandmother Maria all there waiting. I haven't been amongst our Street Church family since the beginning of the month so it was a wonderful sight for these sore eyes.

We unloaded the van and awaited our friends. Since we were in cold-weather protocols, we did not have a service, but we served hot chocolate and coffee, lunches and soup, and gave the daily readings to all who came by. We also had blankets for those in warming centers and tents.

We were planning to be out there for only 1 hour but there was a steady flow of people for our entire time. Of course, we had the usual folks come by at 1p when our message usually ends and lunch is served. It was warm in the sun so we didn't mind hanging out for all of our friends who came by then. Kathy, Brittany, and Lynn were quick to offer prayer and hugs to many. Jordan and Benson held down the food and soup, Liz and Patrick were fantastic baristas, and Malaree welcomed everyone with her usual smile and a water and snack as they entered.

It was a great day to be downtown, as it always is.

 From the Community Churches

Mary and I met up for the service at Arden Court. She loves to change up the slik flowers we bring with us each week and since this is “Valentine Month” she had pretty red and pink flowers.

This church LOVES to sing! The pastor who was here before me was actually a friend of mine from our Junior High School days in West Hartford, Pastor Christoper Adams. He was known in this part of New England as “the Singing Chaplin” and used his gift in many places. Sadly, he suffered and died at 59 years of age last year. It is an honor to take the helm here for him.

It being “love month” we sang lots of love songs! Love to our country, love to our flag, love to our Darling Clementine, our Bonnie over the Ocean, the doggy in the window, and This Land that Belongs to You and Me.

Singing patriotic songs in elder communities hits different. Some have seen the World War, others Korea, Bay of Pigs, and all the recent battles in the deserts of the worlds. They watched with horror as The Towers fell and marched into the dogs for people of different colors… some where bitten and chased and bricked, hated and hunted, and yet here we all are together because of Jesus and ‘Father Time”…

and then we sang love songs of Jesus, and read Scripture and feasted at The Lunch Counter of God TOGETHER… no black or white, just us. God makes sure I never loose the wonder of this generation.

And we praised Jesus and shouted amens, some lifted hands in praise others made the sign of the Cross, hands reached out to take the wafers and mouths opened to have the Host placed on their tongues.

As Mary and I walked around the room I asked each person if they would like to recieve communion like I always do and one woman in the back said “no thank you, I don’t do that because I am Jewish, but thank you. I was raised to love and respect everyone of every faith, regardless of all things.”

She was beaming.

“Ma’am”, I said, “can I put you in my truck and we gave drive across America? I’ll give you a mic and you can just tell people that!”

She smiled and laughed at me and said “oh, you don’t want me, you want a young person! I’m 93!”

and I thought to myself no, no I don’t, because this generation does not know what love and sacrifice looks and feels like.

The Street Church Collective

Arden Court Community Church (Farmington)

Brookdale Chatfield Community Church (West Hartford)

Farmington Station Community Church (Farmington)

Farmington Station Gospel Hour (Farmington)

Harbour Community Church (West Hartford)

River Ridge Community Church (Avon)

The Street Church (Hartford)

West Hartford Health and Rehab Community Church (West Hartford)

GIVE HERE TO SUPPORT US FINANCIALLY

SIGN UP HERE TO HELP SERVE.

SIGN UP HERE, TO PROVIDE FOOD DONATIONS  

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

Small Acts of Big Defiant Love

“…but I do understand this. Jesus taught me to love my neighbor, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, care for the widow and orphan. Nothing anybody does can prevent me from doing that. So that’s what I am going to continue to try to do. Show up for those around me. Care for their needs. Through that kindness and generosity, those small acts of love are actually big acts of defiance towards the hatred and violence we see today”

…… written from a man a God I deeply admire. Let’s all strive to live like Jesus.


A Reminder about Cold Weather Protocol

Again this Weekend.

We will gather downtown unless we experience extreme weather with temperatures below 0 (zero) degrees and severe snow. If it is below 15 degrees we will operate a modified service as outlined below

  1. We will offer hot drinks and a snack (granola bar etc)

  2. We will offer bagged lunches

  3. We will distribute service readings and communion

  4. We will offer hot soup

We will not encourage folks to linger too long and will plan on staying one hour.

Last Week’s Update…stay connected!

Hey Family!

Street Church was beautiful… and a bit snowy!

Logistics

  • Served: 100ish

  • Last week's leaders: Bryan, Jody, VOX

  • Next week's leaders: Kenny

  • Next week's preacher: Kenny

Gifts

  • Last week’s: Stuff

  • Next week's: nada. 5th week and TOO COLD

Looking Ahead

  • Please sign up for January and February lunch dates here:

Service

Not the day we had planned! Nobody would leave!

Jody met me at storage and we had extra time to sort coats, clothes, and blankets after we loaded. We handed out jackets to folks who needed. The blankets never made it out of the truck.

Jody and I were greeted by Charlie and William, our two most faithful. A huge crowd from CrU joined us including my daughter. I can’t tell you the joy of seeing my kid and her community. They crushed it!

While I was briefing the students, one of our regular ladies  was cussing it out at a female officer. It seems someone accused her of something  in the library and they were trying to figure it out. The officer pulled me aside to get her baseline. I would never expect this but you know our people. More police showed and left but not after we gave them all handwarmers. The lady stayed with us and was calm…. It was a bit difficult leading that circle!

We set up the coffee station with snacks and the lunch table. A table for communion and the cross, one speaker on a stand, and a bin of hats, a bin of wool socks, and a box of gloves…. And hand warmers and reflective emergency blankets.

We didn’t have a service because it was too cold to safely keep people outside, but freely distributed what we had and served drinks while waiting for sandwiches and soup. It was Ciera’s (from VOX) birthday so we gathered around and prayed over her. A church was walking by with hats and coats and a large container of soup! They asked if they could serve the soup so we all feasted and we connected with the pastors…. Faith Revolution Church in East Hartford….

They Rocky The Buss Driver drove the bus past, blasting her horn and yelling out the window while other regulars waved out the windows. “Headphones Chris” showed up, and even Carmin in this weather! Manny who came up for prayer last week and was deeply moved came back, and Patricia has her streak going…

We didn’t set up chairs hoping that folks would grab lunch and go but no such luck. They just stuck around and sang and danced. As Geoff mentioned at the close the worship was sweet today. It really was.

As we were wrapping up we couldn’t wipe the tables because the wipes froze but that was fine because the coffee froze on the table anyway.

…my wife called me over to talk to a guy who owns the company selling “Obama phones” asking about us. He’s a local guy and gives lots back and asked if he could help folks out with phones…

A Jamaican guy rode his bike up and motioned me over;

“Where is that Indian woman who prays up a storm? I wanted to thank her, she healed me. And she prayed for work for me and that’s why I haven’t been back for almost two years. I work on Saturdays but I woke up today and rode my bike down here because I wanted to say thank you.

Police thanking us,

Bus drivers praising us

Phone companies,

churches…

and then there was this exchange.

Two guys walked past trying to hand out tracts.

I asked them what church they were with and they said some place in Bolton but they come to Hartford twice a month to “preach the Gospel”… “we are usually up there by the bus stop”

“Oh, you are the guys with the signs calling people to repent!”

“Yeah, that’s us”

“Huh. Nobody listens you, that’s why they are here. Jesus didn’t come to judge but to save. You never invite people into his love”

…and we talked, or they talked rather about sin and hell and judgment all while wearing a “Jesus saves” tee shirt over his coat..

We closed the day in our circle, it was massive because of our friends from CrU. We were in 8 degree weather for over two hours in crazy cold weather and no one complained. We smiled and loved and danced and talked.

A very good day indeed

  From the Community Churches

No picture this week, so I wanted to share this one of a perfect avocado I had last week! Why? Let me tell you why! You never know what you are going to get once you open your avocado up…. same thing with memory care ministry for sure! But truth be told, it is always just what we are supposed to find…

We had two services last week, neither of which I could get a picture of… we met at Brookdale Chatfield and had a lovely time with the Independent Living Community, and then served at Farmington Station with the memory care. One friend keep singing loudly with a huge smile, raising her hand and glowing in worship… most of which in words only decipherable by herself. So I sang softly and she sang quiet with me so that others could join the worship… and we all feasted on communion with open hearts and lips…

I was asked to bring an Ash Wednesday Service to Arden Court to start of Lent as well as starting a Gospel Hour Sing of the Independent Living Community at Farmington Station.

The Street Church Collective

Arden Court Community Church (Farmington)

Brookdale Chatfield Community Church (West Hartford)

Farmington Station Community Church (Farmington)

Farmington Station Gospel Hour (Farmington)

Harbour Community Church (West Hartford)

River Ridge Community Church (Avon)

The Street Church (Hartford)

West Hartford Health and Rehab Community Church (West Hartford)

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Bryan
Street Church Administrator & Volunteer Coordinator
(860) 578-2961 TEXT ONLY
bryan@thestreetchurch.org