I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how to use this space. I don’t know how many people even check this part of the website on a regular basis, since it has never really gotten going. But I think it’s important to have a space to reflect, to have conversation, and to capture some of the neat stories that we’ve been immersed in as we figure out what it means to be church and what it means to live in community with one another.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been a regular blogger, but hearing a friend last night talk about a possible job he has blogging and his own need to get back into it sparked my own desire for reflection. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for awhile, and this crazy work that God has called me to certainly provides ample fodder for digestion.

So look for more stories to be shared here, oh the faithful few-of-you who stumble across this page. Join us in this journey.

Our June newsletter is out!  Read it here, or check it out in its original format at – http://eepurl.com/CZYh.

(You can also view this newsletter in its original form by visiting http://eepurl.com/xmV_)

Dear friends,

We have lots of news to share with you all this month.

First of all, we have a big event coming up at the end of the summer: a low-cost music and arts camp for kids in grades 7 – 12. From August 9th – 14th, we’re putting on a music and arts camp for kids who normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to attend summer camp, ending with a reception and celebration on Sunday afternoon, August 15th. We’re getting volunteers to teach workshops in vocal music, painting, creative writing, and more! Check out our website to keep updated on the event and to find registration information.

Secondly, we’re looking to start a new daytime Life Group that will explore scripture together. If you are interested in joining us, or know someone who is, please let us know!

Read on for some stories about what we’ve been up to in April!
We also love getting feedback from you. If you have questions about what we’re doing, if it inspires a thought, please let us know.

Peace,

Melissa

Changing a City – One Piece of Trash at a Time
by Ben Yosua-Davis

Sometimes you can change with a city with nothing but a broom and a pair of gloves.

This is what I discovered when we collaborated with the city during the Earth Day city cleanup on Saturday, April 24th. It’s amazing how dirty your city can get without you realizing noticing, and the downtown (where we cleaned up) was no exception. It took us the better part of two and a half hours to clean a few city blocks, sweeping up trash, picking up the better part of a thousand cigarette butts, and generally giving the downtown the love that it had been missing for years.

Cleaning makes community too – my team of four stopped to talk with people and explain what we were doing. One member of our team caught up with a friend from school. Matt prayed with another person through his apartment window for healing.

We spent the better part of the morning cleaning up what was undoubtedly the dirtiest alleyway in the city – a little one lane street with a defunct business and a “mug me here” sort of look. A lot of sweeping, one bucket, hundreds of cigarettes, and one large television later, and we made it look a lot more attractive for the thousands of people who walk by it every week.

We were able to make a genuine difference in just a few hours with just a few people. What might you be able to do with the same in your own community?

Connecting Community through the Arts
by Melissa Yosua-Davis

The Vine painted a tile for a new mural going up in downtown Haverhill. The mural, sponsored by Team Haverhill, is comprised of 32 4′ by 4′ tiles. The tiles were distributed to various organizations, churches, and individuals throughout the city for painting. To learn more about this project, check out their Facebook page!  Check out our work-in-progress below!

This past weekend we had our second worship gathering. Check out all the pics here!

I saw a little slice of the kingdom of God a few weeks ago; in a home up on Johnson Street.
I was going to community prayer for a group called L’Arche Irenicon, an ecumenical Christian organization where differently abled people live together in community, sharing resources, chores, prayer, and their lives together in houses across the world, including five here in Haverhill

Around that circle I saw beautiful people. Young people, old people, of all ages, of all abilities, even of all different nationalities, gathered around, hugging, catching up, sisters and brothers together.

And there was a reflection on how each of us is the beloved of God, how each person is unique and wonderful in God’s sight; how, as one man read haltingly and with help, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

I saw people writing on small construction paper hearts how other people had blessed them and sharing those blessings with each other and sharing with one another.

I saw light, fellowship, and unity.

Perhaps that’s what made it so strange- this gathering so disturbing, so enervating, so glorious that it shined, was that it was so ordinary. I had seen gatherings like that so many times before, perhaps happened hundreds, if not thousands of times each day.

People, normally separated by ability, turned into “client-provider”, shuffled into group homes, looked upon and mocked, were allowed to be just people, to be just themselves, and so were invited to be our sisters and brothers and in turn invited us to be their sisters and brothers; or so I mused as Amy, who I had met before, gave me a hug and a light kiss on my cheek as she sat down next to me.

And perhaps that’s the beautiful, subversive quality of the kingdom of God, of the dream that God has for this world. It takes ordinary events, ordinary people, ordinary quality, and transforms them, with extraordinary love, transfigures them into a foretaste of glory divine, a vision for a better future.

In that moment, I saw how the kingdom of God was already powerfully at work in my own city, in ways that I had nothing to do with me and were not in any way reliant upon me; that each of us has a piece, just a piece, but a precious, irreplaceable piece to play in this grand dream that God has for us.

I saw in that place how God calls us to bless the lost, the broken, the looked-down upon; and how God calls us to be blessed by them. I saw God’s vision for the whole world; where everyone who is different, who is called lesser, by gender, life circumstance, race, or ability is brought into full living community, where they are not named, marked, or labeled, but are loved for being beautifully and wonderfully made into who they are.

And I wondered – if in some ways, its so simple – if the kingdom of God can truly be built, simply on love, not on talent or money, not on power or influence, not on education or education, but just love – what’s stopping me, what’s stopping you – from making God’s impossible dream come true?

I never feel like I have enough time to adequately prepare for Christmas. Usually, it’s because I’ve been swamped with finals and Christmas concerts to prepare and a million other little things to do – some of which have everything to do with the idea of Christmas (but without much of the spirit).

This year I find myself facing a similar preparation problem. Between pastoring a church, starting a new one, and all of my other commitments, where does finding time for Christ fit in? I hope it will be found in blessing others – not just through gifts, but with my gift of time and energy and presence — and in listening to Handel’s Messiah! (Oh, and watching the Muppet Christmas Carol. I can’t forget that!) For me, it’s about spending lots of time with friends and family.

In the midst of this busy time of year, how do you best prepare for Christmas? Listening to Christmas carols? Decorating your tree early? Getting out and volunteering your time? What makes the advent season special for you?

Here are some of my highlights from the last week as part of the Vine

The Farmer’s Market: It was a blast to enjoy the beautiful fall weather, hand out free cookies and cider, and chat with people. I enjoyed confusing the multiple people who kept trying to pay or donate to us for the cider and cookies, to which, (much to their consternation) we explained that this was free. I enjoyed watching Jay stop what he was doing to help an older lady carry her many bags of produce back to the car. I enjoyed serving a mother and her eight(!) children cider and cookies all at once. I enjoyed talking with another gentlemen, who told me that he was going through a rough time and needed support. It was just a wonderful day!

Our Life Group: It’s beautiful, when everything is boiled down to the essentials; conversation, prayer, scripture. We had great conversations; prayed together, and came up with a fantastic list of ways that we could be blessing the city!

The Work: I can’t tell you how many times I look at what I do: meet people, make friends, help bless lives, collaborate with ohters for the good of the city, and say “This is work?” This is just so much fun!

What does church mean to you? When you hear the world “church” what do you think of? Does it evoke good memories or painful ones? People or places?

Join in the conversation!

I have to say that I’m pretty excited about the green movement in Haverhill. It’s certainly growing! We had our first single-stream recycling pick-up this morning (I was thrilled when they decided to expand the pilot into Bradford!) and we gave them about two whole trash barrel’s worth of recycled plastics, cans, and papers. Hooray for new ways to reduce our trash!

The resurgence of the Farmer’s Market also amazes me. To think that one year ago, we had one faithful vendor with their delicious crops, and now we have so many more farmers and craftspeople offering their locally grown and made products. I love being able to go every week and have five different varieties of apples to choose from, homemade goat cheese to sample, eggplants available to purchase from three different vendors, and locally made soaps and honey.

In that same vein, in many of our conversations with people from around the city, folks are energized about what community gardens could offer Haverhill. In addition to fresh vegetables open to all people – especially those who may not have access to local produce – community gardens offer a space for people to meet and create something together, an opportunity to reclaim and take pride in a neighborhood, a chance to build a greener city and a greener world.

Even though fall has come, the new life of this green movement continues to spread, bringing a new energy and a new vitality to Haverhill that I didn’t sense, even a year ago when I first moved here.

I sense new life sprouting in other ways – not just through Haverhill becoming more environmentally conscious. Even though times are tough economically, the downtown brims with potential for revitalization and expansion of small businesses. Art and music are everywhere – the Wingate Arts district has fast become one of my favorite streets to explore and visit (and I love the shoes everywhere!). I hear lots of hope about Haverhill’s future and what Haverhill has to offer the wider region. The “green” of this new life is everywhere to be seen!

For me, this is what we as Christians are called to do: “green” the gray world around us; bring new life and hope out of broken situations. Bring color and creativity to an otherwise dull and boring backdrop. Spark dreams and touch lives and partner in the creation of a new world of justice and peace and hope. In this way, I see Haverhill going green as more than just about the environment – it’s about a new life, a new dream, a new future for the city in which I live.

It was an interesting study in human behavior, being at the Farmer’s Market in the rain on Saturday. Melissa, Matt, and I were huddled underneath the tent with the Farmer’s Market table. We were trying to give people free cider and cookies, and, if they were interested, (seriously, if they just took the cider and cookies, we were completely fine with that!), tell them about the Vine and in particular about our community gardens project.

At first, we tried calling out to people to offer them free cider and cider. No success. Just a few hard stares.

We took down anything that looked vaguely like it could be a catch: cards, sign up sheets, and people started stopping over.

Still, I’d say over half the people couldn’t believe that we were just giving something away. People would inch over, examine our table closely for signs of pamphlets or cash boxes, before cautiously taking the cookies and cider, squinting at us as if to say “so, who are you?” We said to a couple people: “Free cider and cookies”, and they’d smile, come by, break out their wallet, and say, “how much?”

Still, I wonder, why is it so hard for people to believe that anyone, especially a religious organization, could just be giving something away? In the end, I think perhaps that reputation is well earned; too often, presents from churches come with hooks; a pamphlet, a pitch, pressure, an expectation. So rarely do religious people simply bless people, make their lives better, not for any reason except just because.

I hope we get a chance to do more of this in the city; just bless people, just give something away. Because after all, in my book, that’s exactly what God wants us to do.