Last Sunday I shared a word with my good friends at St. James Urban... Half the congregation have been there for over 25 years and they share deep and meaningful friendship with one another. The other half of the congregation stumble in from off the streets after sleeping on pavement a few of them nursing hangovers or coming down off of their highs.
If you were a single person you wouldn’t be a part of this community if your motivation is to hook up with your future spouse. Young families with children would struggle with this community because it’s not all that conducive for kids.
You can’t find them on the internet. There’s no website. No online giving options. They are not easily accessible in that sort of way.
But I’ve never experienced a church environment where posturing and pretense were out of the equation quite like this. A place where wise souls and the least, last, and lost gather regularly to sing, have communion and pray. It's just a beautiful and simple expression of the church.
I'm not saying they are better than... but I do believe there is MUCH to learn from a place like this that's been at it in the heart of the city for the last 33 years.
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