"Yes in God's Backyard": Land Development Listening Circles

Dear church,

This year we celebrated thirty years in our building on the corner of Hanley and Ramsey. We benefit from previous generations who saved and planned and labored for the building we currently have. It is sacred ground for our congregation, the physical place where we gather to connect with each other and God. It is also an important gathering place for our neighbors! Every week we share our building with children, seniors, and people everywhere in between for the purpose of education, enrichment, and community.

Not long after we moved into our building, we purchased the empty lot next door. Over the years there have been all kinds of ideas on how to use this gift of extra land. In recent years, church leaders have felt a holy urgency around developing this land for ministry that matters. How can it be used to bless and serve our community?

Last spring select members of the Coeur Team completed a discernment process with the Inland Northwest Presbytery's church land development team. This gifted group of people guided us through a process of thinking about the theology of land stewardship, assessing the strengths of our congregation, and considering the needs of our community. We looked at examples of churches around the country who have developed their land for mission. We learned about how our land is zoned and the rich possibilities for development. We even looked at some architectural drawings to help spark our imaginations!

This is where we landed as a team: We believe our empty lot is not our backyard but God's backyard. The Coeur Team feels unanimously convicted that the time has come to get out of God's way and let Him do something big with His land.

So, we are now bringing the discernment process to you! For the next month you are invited to participate in a land development listening circle. In these circles we will consider together what our faith has to say about land stewardship and dream about how our empty lot might be used to bless our community. Do we feel called to build affordable housing for local workers? A static shelter for homeless families? An intentional living community for seniors and foster youth? Something else entirely? What is the Holy Spirit saying to us? The point is to listen to God and listen to each other.

In November we will invite some key leaders in our community to dream with us. We will also take some time to talk to people in our surrounding neighborhood and hear their ideas. This listening process will culminate in a charge conference vote on December 8. The motion: To give permission to the Coeur Team to contract with the Inland Northwest Presbytery's church land development team on helping us design a development project.

Our first listening circle will be Wednesday, October 2nd during Brown Bag (11:30am). Anyone is welcome to attend! Other dates and times will be listed soon. (NOTE: You only need to attend one listening circle.)

You may feel really excited by this process! Or you may have a lot of questions and concerns. However you are feeling, I encourage you to participate in a listening circle. The goal of the circles is not to design the project, but to listen together for what the Holy Spirit is saying. Do we feel called to say "yes in God's backyard"?

Grace and peace,
Pastor Amanda